Talk of The Villages Florida - View Single Post - Patches of frost on the lawn this morning
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Old 12-02-2024, 06:15 PM
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Default Hardy vs. tropical

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pondboy View Post
Hibiscus will get a bit cranky under 40 degrees where they show their displeasure by dropping leaves.

I’ve invested in a few “Frost Blankets” (Amazon) which help to a certain extent. They reduce wind and keep temperatures inside about 3-5 degrees or so warmer than the outside temp.

I got very lucky and had 3 of them survive down to about 19 degrees a few years back. There was some dieback of the branches, but they are still alive today.

If yours are too big to handle (for a frost blanket), you could always prune them back a few feet in late fall so that they fit under the frost blanket.
Most excellent info for dealing with "hardy" hibiscus. Been trying to study up and it looks like the "tropical" versions are something like 15° more finicky. Working on a plan. . .