• Image of Hibiscus makinoi|Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC|JLBG

    Photo by JLBG taken at Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC

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Hibiscus makinoi

Makino's Hardy Mallow

This plant is not currently for sale. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.

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Item #: 7903

Zones: 7b to 10b, at least

Dormancy: Winter

Height: 84" tall

Culture: Sun

Origin: Japan

Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)


This little-known deciduous mallow is the Japanese kissin' cousin of the Chinese Hibiscus mutabilis. For us, Hibiscus makinoi never reaches more than 7' tall, although in its native Kyushu and Ryoku Islands, it can reach 15' tall. In NC, it dies to the ground each winter, regrowing into a widely-branched plant clothed with large, fuzzy, green maple-like leaves and adorned, starting in early October, with dark pink buds that open to 4-5", large, very light pink flowers...attractive to hummingbirds. An extract from this renaissance plant is found in anti-aging creams since it triggers the creation of estrogen. Growing them in the garden sure makes me feel young!