Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Lipstick Hibiscus
Lipstick Hibiscus is a named tropical hibiscus with big, deep pink flowers and glossy dark green leaves. It is a fast, upright grower that blooms from spring through fall in the Valley, and hummingbirds and butterflies visit the flowers. Grow it as a tall flowering screen, train it flat on a wall, or keep it in a large patio pot. It does best with morning sun, afternoon shade and regular deep water.
Best for: tall flowering screens on the east side of the house, hibiscus trained flat against a shaded wall, and large patio pots that can move under cover in winter.
Lipstick grows fast and upright to about 8 to 12 feet in the Valley, so a row makes a tall green screen with pink flowers. Plant them about 4 feet apart for a dense row along an east-facing fence.
It can be trained flat against a wall or pruned up into a small tree. Pick a wall that gets morning sun and afternoon shade, since hot west walls are hard on it.
A large glazed pot or half barrel on a patio or courtyard suits it well. Pruning keeps it smaller in a pot, and the pot can go under a roof on freezing nights.
Afternoon sun on a west wall, frost below about 30°F and soggy soil all set it back. Valley soil can yellow the leaves without added iron, and it needs room to reach 6 to 8 feet wide.
- Dense screen row4 ft apart
- Bed or loose screen6 ft apart
Water deeply and on a regular schedule so the soil stays evenly moist. Give it water weekly or more in extreme summer heat, and less in winter when growth slows.
Lipstick needs soil that drains well, since soggy roots can rot. Plant it where irrigation water soaks in and drains away instead of pooling.
It is frost tender and does best above about 30°F. On freezing nights, drape frost cloth or a sheet to the ground, never plastic, and take it off in the morning. Move pots under a roof.
Prune in spring once frost danger has passed, from late February to mid March in the Valley. This is also the time to shape a wall plant or raise a small tree form.
Feed it regularly through the warm growing season. If new leaves turn yellow between green veins, the alkaline soil is short on iron, so add an iron product for plants.
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 Lipstick hibiscus?
It has big single flowers in a deep, bright pink, close to fuchsia, set against glossy dark green leaves. Each flower lasts a day or two, and new ones keep opening from spring through fall.
How big does Lipstick hibiscus get?
In the Valley it grows about 8 to 12 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet wide, and it can get taller over time. Prune it in spring to keep it smaller, and give it room to spread.
What is the difference between Lipstick hibiscus and Pink Hibiscus?
Both are tropical hibiscus with the same care. Lipstick is one named variety with deep pink flowers, and it runs taller, about 8 to 12 feet in the Valley. Our Pink Hibiscus is the general pink form and usually stays 5 to 10 feet.
Can Lipstick hibiscus take full sun in Phoenix?
It does best with morning sun and afternoon shade here. Plant it on the east side of the house or where a tree shades it after noon, and keep it off hot west walls.
How often should I water Lipstick hibiscus?
Water deeply and regularly so the soil stays evenly moist but drains well. In extreme summer heat that means weekly or more, and less in winter.
Can I use Lipstick hibiscus as a privacy screen?
Yes. It grows fast and upright, and it is used as a screen or tall hedge. Plant them about 4 feet apart for a dense row, and see the Spacing tab to count plants.
Can Lipstick hibiscus be trained on a wall?
Yes. It can be trained flat against a wall or pruned up into a small tree. Choose a wall with morning sun and afternoon shade, since hot west walls are hard on it.
How cold can Lipstick hibiscus take?
It is frost tender and does best above about 30°F, and frost can damage the flowers. On freezing nights, drape frost cloth or an old sheet to the ground and take it off in the morning.
Why are my Lipstick hibiscus leaves turning yellow?
Alkaline Valley soil often yellows the leaves between green veins, so add an iron product for plants. Soggy soil and cold snaps can yellow leaves too, so make sure water drains away.
What bugs attack hibiscus?
Aphids and whiteflies are the common ones, often clustered on new leaves and flower buds. Check the plant often, figure out which pest you have, then treat for that one.
When should I prune Lipstick hibiscus?
Prune in spring after frost danger, from late February to mid March in the Valley. Wait until then to cut off frost damage, since early pruning lets the next frost do more harm.
Lipstick Hibiscus for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Lipstick Hibiscus is a tall, fast tropical hibiscus with deep pink flowers from spring through fall. In the Valley it wants morning sun, afternoon shade and steady water. This page covers size, screens and wall training, pots, water, frost, yellow leaves and how it compares with our Pink Hibiscus.
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Lipstick hibiscus in Phoenix
Lipstick is a fast, upright tropical hibiscus with deep pink flowers from spring through fall. Plant it where it gets morning sun and afternoon shade, and water it deeply and regularly.
How tall does Lipstick hibiscus grow in Arizona?
Expect about 8 to 12 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet wide in the Valley. Spring pruning keeps it smaller, and in a pot it stays more compact.
Lipstick hibiscus as a privacy screen
Its fast, upright growth makes it a common choice for a tall flowering screen. Space plants about 4 feet apart for a dense row, or about 6 feet apart for a looser screen.
Training Lipstick hibiscus on a wall
It can be trained flat against a wall or pruned up into a small tree. An east-facing wall works best, since hot afternoon sun on a west wall is hard on hibiscus.
Lipstick hibiscus vs Pink Hibiscus
Both have the same care in the Valley. Lipstick is a named variety with deep pink flowers and taller growth, while our Pink Hibiscus is the general pink form at 5 to 10 feet.
Protecting Lipstick hibiscus from frost
It does best above about 30°F, and frost can damage the flowers. Cover plants in the ground on freezing nights and move pots under a roof.
Yellow leaves on Lipstick hibiscus
Alkaline Valley soil can yellow the leaves between the veins, so add an iron product when you see it. Soggy soil and sudden cold snaps can also yellow leaves.
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