How Long Do Hibiscus Flowers Last? (And How to Make Blooms Last Longer) - The Practical Planter (2024)

There are many flowering plants that are easy to grow and provide maximum value for the time and effort that a gardener is willing to put in. One of these is the hibiscus plant.

The hibiscus plant contains more than 300 different species, and can be found across the United States. But, the one thing that ties all of these different species together is the beautiful flower that the plant gives.

These flowers are showy, and are considerably larger than others, like roses. Some people also refer to it as the rose mallow.

The plant is native to regions varying in temperature, including subtropical, tropical, and temperate regions.

From perennial herbaceous plants to annual ones and even woody shrubs, the genus includes all kinds of plants.

But, if you are interested in making sure the plant grows hibiscus flowers, you will need to be a bit careful. This plant requires care, and you have to check the plant as carefully as possible.

However, one of the things the hibiscus plant is notorious for is its incredibly short blooming period.

The bloom arrives in a flash of color, and it goes away in a day or two. In most cases, the bloom usually lasts a day at most and then the plant goes back to its normal, greenish colors.

It’s also quite sensitive to the environment, so that might reduce the time for the bloom as well.

This might also leave doubts in your head about the plant as well. However, as long as you keep yourself informed about the different things that can impact the plant, you will be alright.

There are a bunch of different things you should keep in mind regarding the hibiscus flowers. In the following few paragraphs, we will talk about the plant’s bloom life, and how to increase it as much as possible.

Blooming Life

The display of color the hibiscus plant puts on usually lasts for a day or two, as we have already mentioned. The flowers tend to bloom in the early hours of the morning, and start wilting by late afternoon. By evening, the flowers are almost gone.

The supporting structure also gives way within a few days. Now, this might seem like a problem, but there is a bit of good news here.

While single blooms are relatively short, there are several varieties of tropical hibiscuses that continue to bloom throughout the course of the year.

When a few flowers fall, others will blossom in their place. This way, your garden will remain colorful throughout the course of the year!

What About Hibiscus in Containers?

You might also want to know about the hibiscus plant growing in containers. These plants tend to bloom more profusely than others when they become root-bound, as has been specified by the American Hibiscus Society.

When the plant is registering rapid vertical growth, it usually doesn’t bloom until mid to late summers, or fall. That’s around the time where the plant reaches its maximum growth potential.

That is one of the main reasons why so many people like growing hibiscus on their own. Now, what about making the bloom last longer? Here’s how that works.

Pruning

The hibiscus plant will give you the best bloom when it is kept in well-drained soil, and is exposed to the full sun. The soil needs to be organically enriched, and you need to make sure the plant gets a considerable amount of water.

However, a common mistake many people make is when the plant is rapidly growing vertically, they tend to start off with heavy pruning.

Heavy pruning is bad for this plant as it discourages blooming. When pruning the hibiscus plant, you need to make sure that you lightly prune only the old and damaged stems of the plant.

Remove the old stems of flowers that have already wilted before the seed heads emerge from the new shoots.

This will actually encourage blooming as the plant won’t have to use energy to maintain the old stems. You need to be very careful with the pruning process and select carefully.

No Need to Deadhead

Another way to improve the bloom life of most of your plants is to deadhead them. Deadheading is the process of pinching off flowers and removing the fading ones from your plant. Not only does this improve the aesthetic appeal of your plants, but it also prevents the plant from reseeding.

When we talk about the hibiscus plant, it’s important to note that deadheading is actually not a critical part of caring for the hibiscus plant, even if you have tropical hibiscus plants.

If you are pinching off the hibiscus blooms, you might actually be reducing the bloom life, and more importantly, preventing a show of hibiscus flowers in the late months.

Moreover, it might actually cause a delay in the flowers that the plant might have produced next year. These flowers are generally self-cleaning, so they drop off on their own and are replaced with new buds by themselves. There’s practically no need for you to deadhead the hibiscus plants.

Keep an Eye Out for Diseases and Pests

If your flowers aren’t even lasting a full day, you might want to keep an eye out for pests or diseases that might infest the plant.

The hibiscus plant is susceptible to a number of different diseases and pests, and it requires a lot of care on your part. If you notice flowers dropping prematurely or not blooming at all, with holes appearing in the leaves or even the petals of the flowers, you might be looking at a disease or a pest infestation.

There are a number of different pests that can cause damage to your plants, including aphids, white flies, thrips, and spider mites.

If your plant has fallen prey to a pest infestation or has succumbed to a disease, you will notice an instant drop in the quality of the blooms.

You need to periodically check the plant for signs of damage or pests. Many types of pests tend to hide under the leaves, so you might want to check there.

If there is honeydew residue on the leaves, it’s a common sign of aphids, so you need to start using insecticide fertilizer.

Another insect that you might encounter is the hibiscus midge. These gall midges generally do not consume the plant when they are adults, but they tend to leave their eggs in the unopened blooms.

As soon as the larvae starts to emerge, they begin feeding on the internals of the bud, and that is why the bud usually drops from the plant.

A high-quality systemic insecticide is all that it takes to get rid of this problem. Ideally, you should choose a solution that contains acephates, imidacloprid, and disyston. This will help you keep your plants in the best condition and also improve their health.

Make sure you follow these tips to ensure slightly longer blooms. However, don’t get your hopes up; most hibiscus blooms fall off within a couple of days at most, but they will be replaced quite quickly!