bog garden, bog plants, bogs, botanic garden, Breeding, breeding program, flowers that bloom all summer, hardy hibiscus, hibiscus, JLBG, juniper level botanic garden, late summer garden, mallow, mallows, marginal aquatics, native, native plants, perennial breeding, perennial hibiscus, perennials for wet sites, Pink Flowers, plant breeding, Plant Delights Nursery, red flowers, summer flowering perennials, summer flowers, Tony Avent, variegated, variegated foliage, variegated leaves, variegated perennials, Variegated Plants, wetlands, white variegation, zone 7b
The variegated hardy hibiscus, H. ‘Summer Carnival’ has looked outstanding all summer. This Hans Hansen creation has both variegated leaves and flower buds. We’ve had these in the garden since 2017, and they continue to excel. Moist to wet soils and full sun are ideal, but they handle short term drought just fine. Hardiness is Zone 4a-9b.
Very attractive! How often do you see both the leaves and the sepals of a plant being variegated? Would this imply two mutations, one for the leaf and one for the sepals? Thank you, your daily e-mails are always beautiful and informative.
This variegation type is a chimera and many of these actually run through the leaves and flowers. Streaked leaf hosta for example, have both variegated leaves and flowers.
The leaves on this seem more finely textured compared to “Hibiscus mutabilis ‘Gold Splash’.” Is Hans working on crossing Summer Carnival with Gold Splash?
Since H. mutabilis is a Zone 7b/8a plant, it is almost never use in breeding where winter hardiness is a prime concern.
But wouldn’t Summer Carnival possibly impart better winter hardiness to such a cross?
When your goals are compact, well branched plants with maximum winter hardiness and early flowering times, using a tree-like species with no flowers before late October, and a Zone 7b/8a winter hardiness would take you completely in the wrong direction. A breeding program in the deep south, however, could indeed benefit from such a cross, but only if H. moschetus and H. mutabilis would easily cross, which they will not.
Mutabilis doesn’t bloom until October? My Gold Splash has been blooming since July.
Then, it’s not H. mutabilis
A stunning specimen! I can´t wait for this variety to be released in europe… Talking about variegated flower buds, have you ever tried sowing seeds from variegated pods? I´d be intrested to know if any of the seedlings retain stable variegation!
I don’t recall seeing viable seed on this, but will look closer. Typically with dicots, plants with a variegated edge are mostly, but not all, albino.