Lucky_Lad,
An update?
Ed

This is the second year for this plant and it was twice as big as it was the first year I planted it. As you can see it's too close to the house and I'd like to move it. Should I do that in the fall after it has gone dormant and I've cut it back to the ground or should I wait until Spring after the last Frost and before it starts to send green shoots up? Thanks very much

Bump! I want to know also. I need to move one ofmine that is in too much shade.

Sorry, I haven't looked at this site for a while. I left it alone for about 2 weeks. The leaves had really shriveled up and the stems were drying up, so I cut it back to maybe 2 inches high. I hope it comes back next year. It is a very soft pink color. I'll try to update the outcome next year.
Cheers, Laddie

Success!
After a cold, very long winter I wasn't sure the hibiscus would make it. This picture was taken on May 11. It looks like it's coming back. When it blooms, fingers crossed, I'll post another picture.

Lucky_Lad,

This is exactly what you want to see with a mallow hibiscus. Keep it well watered. These varieties die back each year, and should be cut back to about 2 inches or so. They are late to show new growth, but take off rapidly when it starts. I do not see why you will not have blooms from it this year.

Ed

thats handy to see! i just put my two hardy hibs in the ground, but they aren't exactly happy right now. I am hoping that they will take root enough to over winter and come back strong next year. they are only a couple years old at this point...

Thanks for the wisdom Ed. Because it dies back every year is why I wanted it there. When we moved into our house 20 years ago, it had two rhododendrons on either side of the entrance in our dooryard. Then we replaced a shingle roof with a metal roof. Most of the snow will slide off in one sheet and flatten whatever is under it, I'm in Maine. After a year or two, the rhodies had enough. So this plant is perfect.
Regards, Laddie

Here it is August 16 and I got my first flower today. So moving was easy and rewarding. Is this late blooming typical of a zone 5 plant? Is it a variety anyone knows?
I'm going to call it "Trudy" after a special friend whose yard I got it from. She's in a nursing home now with Alzheimer's disease, and I think of her and her husband when I see it.

It's loaded with flowers, but they better hurry. Here in zone 5 we could have frost in 6 or 8 weeks.

This post was edited by Lucky_Lad on Sat, Aug 16, 14 at 17:09

One more picture. After a week of blooming, flowers are now more pink as I remembered them. Is this color fluctuation common?

Yes, hot=lighter, cool=darker