Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Florida Sunset Hibiscus
Florida Sunset Hibiscus is a tropical hibiscus with single flowers in red and orange, edged and washed with yellow. In the Valley it flowers most of the year, most heavily in spring and fall, with each bloom lasting a day or two. It grows into an evergreen shrub for an entry, a courtyard or a large patio pot, and hummingbirds visit the flowers. Give it morning sun, afternoon shade and regular water.
Best for: entries and courtyards on the east side of the house, large patio pots that can move under cover, and hummingbird color in a shaded corner.
Florida Sunset grows well in a large glazed pot or half barrel on a patio or courtyard. A pot can be moved under a roof on freezing nights, which helps a frost-tender plant.
Plant it where it gets morning sun and shade in the afternoon, like the east side of the house. Keep it away from hot west walls, where the afternoon sun is hardest on it.
Hummingbirds and butterflies visit the flowers. It flowers most of the year in the Valley, with the heaviest bloom in spring and fall.
Frost damages it below about 30°F, and a cold snap can drop its buds. Alkaline soil yellows the leaves unless you add iron. Hot afternoon sun off a west wall stresses it.
- Dense hedge row4 ft apart
- Bed or loose screen6 ft apart
Keep the soil evenly moist, but make sure water drains away. In extreme summer heat, water weekly or more. Water less in winter, when growth slows.
Hibiscus is frost tender and does best above about 30°F. On a freezing night, cover it with frost cloth or a sheet that reaches the ground, and move potted plants under a roof.
Prune in spring once frost danger has passed. You can prune it lightly or hard, depending on the size you want.
Feed it regularly through the warm growing season. New leaves that turn yellow between green veins point to a lack of iron in alkaline soil, so add an iron product for plants.
Aphids and whiteflies gather on new leaves and flower buds. Look the plant over often, identify the pest, then treat for that pest.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
What color is Florida Sunset hibiscus?
The single flowers are red and orange with yellow edges and tones. Each flower lasts a day or two, and new ones keep opening.
Can Florida Sunset hibiscus take full sun in Phoenix?
It does best with morning sun and afternoon shade. Plant it on the east side of the house and keep it away from hot west walls.
How often should I water Florida Sunset hibiscus?
Keep the soil evenly moist but draining. Water weekly or more in extreme summer heat, and less in winter.
How big does Florida Sunset hibiscus get?
In the Valley it usually grows 5 to 10 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide. Keep it smaller by pruning in spring or by growing it in a pot.
How far apart should I plant hibiscus?
Plant it about 4 feet apart for a dense hedge row, or about 6 feet apart for a bed or loose screen. The Spacing tab shows both.
How cold can hibiscus take?
Hibiscus is frost tender and does best above about 30°F. Cover it with frost cloth on freezing nights, and move pots under a roof.
Why is my hibiscus dropping buds?
A sudden drop into the 30s can make buds fall. Cover it on cold nights to protect the buds and leaves.
Why are my hibiscus leaves turning yellow?
Yellow between green veins on new leaves means alkaline soil is short on iron, so add an iron product. Soggy, poorly drained soil and cold snaps also yellow the leaves.
What bugs attack hibiscus?
Aphids and whiteflies are the most common, clustering on new leaves and flower buds. Check the plant often, identify the pest, and treat for that one.
When should I prune Florida Sunset hibiscus?
Prune in spring after frost danger has passed. Prune lightly to shape it, or harder to bring it down in size.
Should I fertilize hibiscus?
Yes. Feed it regularly through the warm growing season, and add iron if new leaves turn yellow.
Florida Sunset Hibiscus for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Florida Sunset Hibiscus brings red, orange and yellow tropical flowers to a shaded Valley patio. It is a tropical hibiscus, so it needs more water and more frost care than most desert shrubs. Below you will find its sun needs, watering, frost protection, feeding, pests and spacing.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Can you grow Florida Sunset hibiscus in Phoenix?
Yes, with the right spot. Give it morning sun, afternoon shade and regular water, and protect it on freezing nights. A large pot makes that easier.
What does Florida Sunset hibiscus look like?
It has single flowers in red and orange with yellow edges and tones. Its leaves stay green all year in a mild winter.
Best place to plant hibiscus in Arizona
The east side of the house works well, with morning sun and afternoon shade, away from hot west walls. Entries, courtyards and patio pots are common spots.
How often to water hibiscus in the Arizona summer
Keep the soil evenly moist but never soggy. In extreme heat that means watering weekly or more. Cut back in winter when it grows slowly.
Protecting hibiscus from frost in the Valley
Hibiscus does best above about 30°F. On freezing nights, cover it with frost cloth or a sheet to the ground, and move pots under a roof. Wait until spring to prune any damage.
Why hibiscus leaves turn yellow in Arizona
Alkaline desert soil can leave hibiscus short on iron, which yellows new leaves between green veins. Add an iron product, and make sure the soil drains.
How far apart to plant hibiscus
Plant hibiscus about 4 feet apart for a dense hedge row, or about 6 feet apart for a bed or loose screen.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.