THE HVH ONLINE STORE IS OPEN
2019 Hibiscus plants are now available!
Order now for spring shipping!
Welcome to Hidden Valley Hibiscus
![]() Exotic Hibiscus 'Floral Bliss' Giant Hibiscus 'Golden Gate' in Page Border |
Welcome to Hidden Valley Hibiscus! We hope you like our exotic, tropical hibiscus! We grow over 500 hibiscus hybrids, or varieties - "cultivars" in hibiscus lingo. Most of our varieties are hybridized right here in our own greenhouses, and are unique to HVH. All these new hybrid hibiscus are descendants of the small hibiscus flowers we all know well, but the new "exotic" or "fancy" hibiscus hybrids are huge, multi-colored, multi-shaped, splashy, and amazing. Browse our website and our Online Store to see what we mean. We ship our potted hibiscus all over the United States and to many other countries too. Plants arrive ready to unwrap and sit in a window, on a patio, or out in a garden. Plants in the 6" pot size or larger arrive budded up and ready to bloom. The Hibiscus Care section of our website has all the information you need to successfully grow these beautiful flowers. Enjoy!
 
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![]() Belle du Jour in a 6" Pot |
"Just HAD to let you know - the plants arrived today... someone had to wake me up, because I SWOONED... they are so beautiful! Thank you so much for your care, the awesome blooming hibiscus and the amazing customer service on my request and in RECORD time. Please know that I am now a customer and fan forever. Thank you" Diane D
"Thank you so much. I received the plants last week and they are gorgeous. I just placed an order for two more plants. Again, thank you for the beauties." Sheila J
Diane and Sheila are just a few of the many happy HVH customers. Read more customer comments here! The photo above shows the typical size of plants in 6" pots (this is cultivar 'Belle du Jour') at the time of shipping, although size varies by cultivar and we don't guarantee the open blooms. See Terms & Conditions for more information on our guarantees and shipping policy.
 
 
What Kind of Hibiscus are These?
Exotic, Tropical, Fancy, Hardy, Hybrid, Species, Perennial, or Garden Variety?
![]() At HVH we grow Exotic, Tropical Hybrid Hibiscus. What does this mean???? |
Hibiscus are a confusing group of plants! We get a lot of email asking questions about the different types of hibiscus, and unfortunately for all of us, there aren't really uniform, standardized names for any of the different kinds of hibiscus. Each new type has unofficial names that have cropped up among growers and aficionados, and different groups of people use different names for the same plant, or the same name for different plants. Does this all sound confusing? Well, it should! It confuses everyone in the hibiscus world! We hope this article will help sort out some of the terminology and types of hibiscus that we find in gardens around the world.
Tropical Hibiscus v. Hardy or Perennial Hibiscus
![]() 'Acapulco Gold' Like all HVH Hibiscus Is a Tropical Hibiscus |
Hardy hibiscus, also called "winter-hardy" or "perennial" hibiscus, are most often descended from the species Hibiscus moscheutos or "Rose Mallow", and sometimes from the species Hibiscus mutabilis or Hibiscus coccineus. Some of the ancestors of these hibiscus were native to the Americas, and all were native to colder parts of the world. Hardy hibiscus die back all the way to the ground each winter, and shoot up new growth each spring. These hibiscus grow well in cold climates, but don't grow as well in warmer climates, especially hot, dry climates. Hardy hibiscus bloom in late summer or early fall and have a shorter blooming season than tropical hibiscus. At HVH we don't grow any of the hardy hibiscus. We have tried in the past, but they don't grow well in our hot, dry California climate.
 
Hybrid Hibiscus v. Species Hibiscus
![]() Hybrid Hibiscus 'Key Largo' |
At HVH we hybridize our own new hibiscus varieties, or cultivars on a continuous basis, and each year we offer the best of our new hybrids for sale. It takes a lot of hybridizing to produce a few good hibiscus varieties. Typically, for each hundred new crosses we grow and test, only about two of the new cultivars are good enough to make it to market.
![]() Species Hibiscus, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis |
For more information about the different hibiscus species that combined to create the modern hibiscus hybrids, see the Hibiscus History article on our website. We do grow and sell some of the species hibiscus at HVH. You can find them on the Ancestors Page of our Online Store.
Garden Variety Hibiscus v. Exotic Hibiscus
![]() Garden Variety Hibiscus Many small simple flowers with lots of foliage on a large bush |
![]() Exotic Hibiscus Plants Fewer bigger, more complex flowers, less foliage, smaller bushes |
Grafted v. Grown on their Own Roots
![]() Hibiscus 'Creme de la Creme' Must be Grafted |
![]() Hibiscus 'Valentine's Day' Grows on its Own Roots |
We hope this helps explain all these confusing terms! But whatever name you give the flowers, it's impossible not to love them!