ibiscus companion plants are a great way to add variety to your garden without imposing any real threat to its original residents. Hibiscuses are beautiful on their own but adding companion plants is a surefire way to add more interest to your garden.
But not every flowering plant can be added without research, as some of them can easily damage your hibiscus garden or steal necessary nutrients from them, so read this article as you will know all about th right ones.
Contents
List of Hibiscus Companion Plants
1. Bee Balm
Bee Balm is a striking flower with vibrant colors. They come in shades of scarlet, pink, white, purple, and lavender. These colors make a beautiful contrast with the hibiscus plants. This beautiful combination alone is a good reason to plant bee balms in your garden.
Another advantage of choosing bee balm as a companion plant for hibiscus is their long blooming season. These native North American wildflowers bloom for a longer time compared to hibiscus plants that only bloom in the mid-summer. Thus, you will have life in your garden for many months.
– Features
Over 15 different species of this flower are commonly sold in stores, so you have plenty of room to make your choice. The plant also does not grow very tall and is more of a ground cover. Their colorful carpet of flowers would do well to add interest and appeal to your garden.
Their foliage is not something out of the ordinary, which is a good thing in this context as it will not overshadow the original residents of the garden and add to the beauty of the overall scene. These plants are also hotspots for gathering bees, birds, hummingbirds, and songbirds.
– Growth Conditions
Bee balms grow well in full sun but can also tolerate partial shade. Bee balm is ideally grown in spring or fall. It is a perennial plant that grows quite quickly to the point that it will bloom in its first season. This means that you do not even have to wait a long time for the flower to bring its vibrancy to your garden.
Furthermore, you must remember that it enjoys rich and moist soil, make sure that the water that you irrigate with doesn’t stick to the bottom.
2. Sweet Alyssum
Sweet alyssum is another ground-covering plant that is an excellent addition to a hibiscus garden.
These plants are the perfect companion as they add to the garden’s beauty instead of draining something from it. The flowers they produce fill the air with a sweet fragrance and give a refreshing feeling.
– Features
These carpeting flowering plants are to Europe but can quickly grow in many different regions once provided with their preferred environment. These plants produce abundant flowers with four petals that spread across the entire scene. Their foliage is slightly hairy, gray-green in color in the shape of tiny lances.
There are wide varieties to choose from, so you are not stuck to picking only one. Many of these varieties will wither during the warmer months and return during the fall. Remember that this is considered an invasive plant in California as it grows very quickly and takes over the local plant life.
– Growth Conditions
They grow best under the full sun but also survive in partial shade, furthermore, they like to grow in moist and well-drained soil. They will require water depending on your local weather conditions. Warm and dry areas would require you to provide them with more water.
Another advantage of adding sweet alyssum is its ability to grow and spread quickly. They do not need a lot of care to thrive and are easily maintained and propagated. A sweet alyssum is a great option as its ideal environment is the same as the one hibiscus plants need. So, you do not have to make different arrangements to accommodate these plants.
These plants can quickly grow from a plant or seeds. They are cool-season plants and prefer a cooler climate. They are plated after the last frost has cleared in early spring. These plants are not frost-hardy, but in the areas that do not have ice, these plants can bloom during fall and even winter.
3. Angel Wings
Angel wings, also known as Tropical Caladium, are a great option for a companion plant if you are looking to make a rainforest or tropical-themed garden. These plants can grow quickly in many conditions, making them an excellent flexible option.
If there are some shady areas in your garden that you would like to fill, angel wings are a great option.
– Features
Their main source of attraction is their striking bright foliage with bright red centers. This introduces a beautiful contrast with the foliage of the hibiscus plants. The leaves of angel wings are also quite large. The plant’s lush green and bright red leaves produce a beautiful tropical scene.
These heat-loving plants are perennials that are the best option out there if you are looking for a showy and flamboyant house plant. The large leaves are in the shape of a heart and are paper-thin, nonetheless they also fashion various patterns, including white, pink, green, and red veins and stripes throughout the leaves.
Although their tropical foliage is their best selling point, and most people grow them for this reason, they also produce flowers. These flowers are in the shape of spikes or spathes. However, these flowers cannot overshadow the brilliance of their foliage. These flowers are also toxic, so care must be taken when handling them.
– Growth Conditions
Caladium plants prefer partial shade to grow to their potential, just as hibiscus do, in addition to the latter, these would also grow to their best potential when they are placed in rich, moist, and well-drained soil. Lastly, what you should also note is that they require moderate water, enough to keep them moist and avoid dryness.
4. Daylily
Daylilies are beautiful perennial plants that are a great option to plant in a hibiscus garden. They thrive in the same growing conditions and do not compete for space or nutrients with their neighbors. Daylilies can be accommodated perfectly with hibiscuses without any hindrance or harm.
These plants produce abundant flowers from summer all the way to winter months. But their flowers are not the only reason to plant them. Their strapped leaves contrast beautifully with the hibiscus flowers when daylilies are not blooming. They both complement each other in all the best ways.
– Characteristics
The daylilies are a hardy hibiscus companion plant that is easy-to-grow and low-maintenance flowers. These are the qualities of a perfect plant that provides your garden with increased beauty, interest, and appeal without asking for much in return. They are also flexible to be planted in spring or fall, a few weeks before the frost comes.
If all these benefits are not enough to make you fall in love with daylilies, these plants can grow very quickly. This means you do not need to wait long to see them bloom. However, their fast growth can be a problem in some areas where they are considered invasive.
Another thing to keep in mind is that they are toxic to cats, which means this aspect is one that you should be mindful about, so that none of your pets would be intoxicated.
– Growth Conditions
Just as the Hibiscus only blooms in mid-summer, the same goes for daylilies as your garden will be full of life throughout the year, because they also grow to their full potential under full sun.
Furthermore, the lilies would prefer to grow in moist but well-drained soil. They require moderate water to keep the soil moist but avoid waterlogging, just water it a little, make sure that the soil does not stay with so much of it, because if it does so, then the roots will get damage.
5. Hydrangea
Hydrangea is a big flower-producing shrub that is an excellent companion plant to hibiscus. They produce an array of flowers that bloom in many different shades.
These shades include pink, violet, purple, and other deep shades that depend on the type of soil your garden has and the variety of the plant.
– Characteristics
If you are considering getting hydrangea as a companion plant, keep in mind to choose the variety carefully. Some cultivars bloom and wither at the same time as the hibiscus flower. This is a good thing if you want your garden to bloom simultaneously in all its glory, but there are other types that will bloom in different periods.
These plants can grow fairly tall, so it is a good idea to plant them alongside the hibiscus plant; otherwise, they can easily block their view. Hydrangeas are low-maintenance plants, and due to their rounded shape, they can also work great as a centerpiece of a landscape. These are fast-growing plants that can be planted in fall or early spring.
There are over 75 species of hydrangea, and the varieties are even more in number. They are independent in their propagation and can also easily attract pollinators. However, one safety hazard that these plants can produce is they are equally toxic to plants and animals and, thus, should be kept away from children and pets.
– Growth Conditions
They prefer partially shady areas but can survive in full sun with enough moisture. Furthermore, you should note that the hydrangea requires moist soil that drains easily and quickly, which is basically the same conditions as the hibiscus does. Consistent moisture is necessary to keep them alive; incorrect watering is the fastest way to kill hydrangeas.
6. Peonies
Peonies are show-stealers with their abundant colorful blooms. It makes a great companion plant for hibiscus that bloom each spring. Their blooming cycle does not correspond with hibiscus plants which is a great way to maintain interest and appeal towards your garden even when hibiscus is not blossoming.
Since peonies and hibiscus do not bloom at the same time, it is a good idea to place them behind the hibiscus so that when they wither away, hibiscuses can block them with a colorful sight of their own. The large blossoms of peonies are adorned with shades of red, pink, yellow, and white.
– Characteristics
These are perennial plants that have over 33 different species. Many of these plants are herbaceous, but some of them are woody as well. In addition to their beautiful blossoms, they also produce a sweet fragrance to further add to the experience.
These plants rely heavily on their roots, so you will have to handle them carefully, especially when planting them. Their varieties have different blooming periods, ranging from spring to sometimes late summer. But the best time to plant all of them is in fall, a couple of weeks before the arrival of the frost.
– Growth Conditions
Peonies like areas that receive plenty of direct sunlight, you should be careful because if they do not receive so, it would hinder their growth. Plant them in moist but well-draining soil for ideal growth. They require moderate water, and although they can survive in slightly damped soil, they are very susceptible to dryness.
Conclusion
The list of hibiscus companion plants is filled with beautiful, fragrant, vibrant, and colorful flowering plants and shrubs of all shapes and sizes. All you need to do is to choose the one that caught your attention. When you decide on a companion plant, keep the following points in mind:
- You can choose plants with a different blooming period than a hibiscus so your garden remains lively.
- Many of these plants prefer moist and well-drained areas under the full sun.
- Some of them are considered invasive in some areas, so do your research before deciding.
- By adding companion plants to your garden, you will not only increase the variety of colors and fragrances in that area, but you can also enjoy the year-long bloom.
From the flowers in this list, as you read, all of them have very common properties just as the hibiscus does, so now that you know them, which plant will you choose to accompany your hibiscuses.
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