I it a hardy hibiscus or a tropical hibiscus?

It it is hardy then it should be planted in the ground now, and will come back next spring.

If it is a tropical hibiscus, they do not go dormant and if you put it in your basement for the winter, without a good sunny window and don't water it, it will die.

It can be tough to keep a tropical hibiscus indoors in the north. The dry heat in the winter is not conducive to good survival and we really don't get enough strong sunlight either.

It can be done and there are a couple of websites that can provide you with some good info.

I've tried in the past with several tropical ones and have made it as far as mid February with them, then the dry heat and lack of sunlight just does them in.

Link below is one site to look at

Here is a link that might be useful: tropical hibiscus indoors for the winter

For plants that go dormant from cold, basements are usually too warm.

For plants that don't go dormant, basements are usually too dark.

Sometimes, the particulars of your particular house allow you to get away with things.

I've overwintered a tropical hibiscus in the winter under flourescent shop lights in the past. It works for a couple of years at least. It probably didn't bloom or do real well (I really can't remember), but it hangs around long enough to put it out again in spring.

I remember doing same with a mandevilla and abutilon. They lost some leaves, but stayed alive.

2 shop light fixtures (4 bulbs) over a table and a timer (12-16 hours a day, less in winter more as spring nears).

I've been overwintering a tropical hibiscus in my cellar, which is not exactly the brightest place. Some light comes in through the windows and the temp stays around 55 degrees. This has been going on for the past 8 years and the tree couldn't be healthier. I water it when the soil is completly dry.

I've overwintered a tropical hibiscus for several years in an unheated sunroom that faces south. I water it like any other house plant. It may lose some leaves, but overall does well. It sometimes will even flower as early as April, but then it gets plenty of sunlight all winter. The temperature in the sunroom can get into the 40's some nights and on sunny days can get to 70+.

Rich,
I bring my tropical hibiscus into the house, on the sun porch or sunny window. It doesn't go dormant but continues to bloom sporadically all winter. In the spring I prune it way back and return it to the deck where it blooms even more. /Abi

i brought my tropical hibiscus in for the winter last year and put it in a very sunny window where it got at least four hours of sun, it shed some of it's leaves but new ones grew, flowered all winter, i used miracle grow on it. put it outside late spring and again it lost some leaves but they came back bigger and better than ever i swear it almost doubled in size and flowers so heavy they were bending their stems. it is in a pot and must be root bound but i am leavi ng it alone...it is a braided hibiscus with two separate flower colors, peach and red. i bought it at walmart. i will bring it in before frost, am adjusting it new conditions by slowly moving into less ideal conditions. the plant is about 18 months old now.

I live in Central Mass, I put my hibiscus in the cellar near a west facing window, cut back on watering. It goes dormant, I bring it out to heavy shade in the spring when nighttime temps are above 55degrees and slowly acclimate it to my full sun deck. It's 26 years old and doing great. Good luck

Sorry 16 not 26 years lol