Hibiscus at CBG

Posted: August 16, 2017 by Mark Dwyer

The rain missed us throughout the day which created the necessity for lots of watering. Our grounds crew of Bobby K.., Trevor and I had a full day with the help of volunteers Kathy, Eva, Stan, Kristin, Janice and the Chestnut House volunteers. We also saw Dr. Yahr, Lynn, Mark S., Maryam and many others.

These photos were taken at the Chicago Botanic Garden yesterday in the Plant Evaluation Garden managed by Richard Hawke. I was tickled to catch these hibiscus (all herbaceous) at peak bloom with their huge, “dinner-plate” sized blooms. Many also had maroon foliage and/or a more compact form. Breeding in hibiscus selections continues to be exciting and everyone appreciates them when they are in bloom. The variety directly above is ‘Mars Madness’ with Summerific® ‘Perfect Storm’ at the top.