more tolerant of summer heat and
humidity than other species and
hybrids of Heuchera—a boon to
southern gardeners.
related plantS ‘Caramel’ is a
stunning, sturdy hybrid of Heuchera
villosa with apricot new growth that
matures to amber-orange. The flowers
are negligible. Slightly more compact
than H. villosa, with a height and
spread of 12–18 in. Pruning and
maintenance—as well as heat toler-
ance—similar to H. villosa.
×Huecherella ‘Sweet Tea’ was bred
using Heuchera villosa as one of its
parents; it likes more moisure than
straight H. villosa, however. ‘Sweet Tea’
is a favorite for its large, bronzy orange
leaves with maroon veins.
Hibiscus moscheutos
rose mallow
malvaceae
Large red, white, pink, or bicolored flowers;
triangular leaves
3–8 ft. high; 5 ft. wide
Full sun or part shade
Blooms July to frost
Zones 4–9
pruning Flowering is similar to that
of daylilies in that individual flowers
last only 1 day and then eventually
turn to mush and stick together.
Deadheading before this stage keeps
the plant’s appearance up and may
prolong bloom. Take care if deadhead-
ing in the evening when the flowers
have just folded down as bees seem to
enjoy resting in them at this time and
may give the deadheader a stinging
surprise. Seedheads are attractive and
it may be desirable to leave them on
the plant later in the season to extend
the interest of the plant through the
winter. Stems need to be cut down in
the spring for new growth. Seeding
may be a problem under wet condi-
tions; deadhead regularly during the
season and cut stems down for the
winter if this is the case. Deadleafing is
needed during the summer if plants
dry out.
Plants respond favorably to pruning
before flowering in an effort to reduce
height and create fuller plants. Some
gardeners also do this in an attempt to
avoid some early Japanese beetleHeuchera villosa ‘Caramel’Hibiscus moscheutos
‘Lord Baltimore’