I'm so proud of the newest addition to our carport garden. It's a luna hibiscus or a luna bush.
The last several years, I've noticed these incredibly large and colorful blooms on bushes throughout my neighborhood. I didn't know what the blooms were, but I knew I wanted one of those plants. Last week, my friend Ginny Tarleton mentioned her luna hibiscus in her garden blog and posted a photograph. It was the flower I had seen throughout my neighborhood.
Finally, a name for the beautiful plant! Ginny's plant is a beautiful pastel pink/ lavender color. The ones I saw on N.C. 42 on our way to Rock Ridge last week were a deep fuchsia.
With a name to this mysterious plant (mysterious to me anyway!) I was able to purchase my own luna hibiscus at Ace Hardware. My blooms are very deep red. I'll be reading up on how to keep my plant alive all year. And Ginny has promised to save me some seeds from her plant so maybe I can have a second one next summer. I'd love to have different colors. The pale pink like Ginny's is my favorite.
Most of the plants I purchased for our carport have been a disappointment this summer, especially the topiary rose bush. I'm so glad to have something that's finally blooming! Just this morning, I saw the second bloom had popped out. Can't wait to examine it up close this afternoon.
It's beautiful, Lisa! My hibiscus requires a lot of water and it's also a pretty heavy feeder (Miracle Gro works well) - but basically it's been trouble-free.
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