Not sure about planting it now, but I do know that most of the hardy hibiscus need a decent amount of water to perform well over time.
Barb

I have found hibiscus to be very drought tolerant. Mine actually go two months or longer with no water and they still bloom and produce seeds. We finally got rain yesterday after more than two months without rain, and my hibs look better than anything else in the garden. If you don't get them accustomed to frequent water, they learn to "man up".

I have two nice pink dinnerplate hibs. One is light pink and one is dark pink. They're both Southern Belles.

I also have a new one for me this year called Summer Storm with a lighter pink bloom and beautiful burgundy maple-leaf foliage.

Or have you seen Plum Crazy? Again you get the dark foliage and the bloom isn't really a dark pink, more of a plum colored, kinda pinkish-purple. I get lots of comments about mine.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for your comments! Since I've decided to wait 'til spring to buy one, that will give me a little more time to do research.

I guess I should have specified: are we talking about hibiscus moscheutos or hibiscus syriacus? I was thinking h. syriacus, because I assumed it would be more drought-tolerant, but after your comments I'm wondering if h. moscheutos would work as well.

I grow them all with very little water, no fertilizer, little care. I've found they perform far better than most of the plants I grow, despite our heat and drought. This year, mine went about 8 weeks without rain, enduring 105 degree temps in full sun. They bloomed their heads off and didn't even get ratty looking.

I grow Rose of Sharons, dinnerplate hibs (Southern Belles, Disco Bells, Moy Grande, etc), and TX star hibs. I have about a dozen varieties.

I do mulch well. But other than that, my hibs are on their own from summer til winter.