Confederate Rose Hibiscus

Hibiscus mutabilis ‘Plena’

Other Names: Dixie Rosemallow, Cotton Rose, Cotton Rosemallow, Hardy Hibiscus

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 7a-11 Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Deciduous Flowering Shrub or Tree

Height at Maturity: 10-12′

Width at Maturity: 8-10′

Spacing: 8′ for solid hedges; 16’+ for space between plants

Growth Habit / Form: Upright, Rounded

Growth Rate: Fast

Flower Color: White, Light Pink, Dark Pink

Flower Size: Large, 5-6″

Flowering Period: Fall thru Early Winter

Flower Type: Fully Double

Fragrant Flowers: No

Foliage Color: Green

Fragrant Foliage: No

Berries: No

Berry Color: NA

Sun Needs: Full Sun or Mostly Sun, Morning Sun with Dappled or Afternoon Shade, Morning Shade with Evening Sun

Water Needs: Average, water regularly during extreme heat or drought

Soil Type: Clay (amended), Loam, Sand (amended), Silt

Soil Moisture / Drainage: Moist but well-drained

Soil pH: 5.5 – 7.5 (Acid to Slightly Alkaline)

Maintenance / Care: Low to Average

Attracts: Visual Attention

Resistances: Deer, Disease, Heat, Humidity, Insect

Description

Unique in every way, meet the Confederate Rose, a wonderful hardy Hibiscus recognized for its fall display of gorgeous flowers of many colors on the same bush, bold foliage, impressive stature and form, and cold hardiness to as far north as USDA Zone 7a.

Unlike most hardy Hibiscus which bloom in summer, Confederate Rose produces its large and beautiful, peony-form flowers during the fall season. In our north-central gardens the flower buds start opening in October continuing all the way through late November to early December, depending on the weather. What’s really neat is how the flowers change color after opening. They open pure white then gradually turning to darker shades of pink until ending up a deep rose-pink to nearly red. Because buds open at different times the result is all these different colors on the same plant at the same time. Truly a spectacular sight to behold!

But the flowers aren’t the only impressive attribute of this Hibiscus. The bold, 7 to 8-inch wide soft and fuzzy green leaves, shaped and sized somewhat like those of the sycamore tree, serve as the perfect backdrop to the flowers while also providing a tropical effect in the garden spring to frost. The Confederate Rose would be an impressive texture plant in the landscape without the flowers. Growing 10-12 feet tall and almost as wide, it surely won’t go unnoticed. This is one beauty that deserves a spot in every landscape or garden where it has room to grow.

For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Zone 7a, where this Hibiscus variety is not reliably winter hardy, you’ll be happy to know it can be grown in large containers that can be brought indoors during the winter months and placed back outdoors when temperatures rise in spring.

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing 10-12 feet tall and 8-10 feet wide, the Confederate Rose Hibiscus is ideal for use as a focal point specimen, in groupings, or as a seasonal hedge in sunny landscape borders and garden beds. It also serves well as a backdrop for lower growing plants in flower gardens. Suitable for growing in large containers and a fine addition to perennial gardens, cottage gardens and tropical-look gardens. For those who live north of USDA Zone 7a, where this plant is not reliably winter hardy, containers can be brought indoors during winter.

Spacing: 8 feet apart for solid hedges; 16 feet or more apart for space between plants

Growing Preferences

The Confederate Rose Hibiscus is exceptionally easy to grow in most any moist but well-drained soil of average fertility in full sun to part shade. Flowering will be heavier with more sun. Though drought tolerant when established, plants will appreciate an occasional good deep soaking in the absence of rainfall during summer. Maintenance is minimal, just one pruning a year. In early spring, just when new growth begins to emerge, we cut the stems back to just a few inches or so above the ground. When temperatures warm in spring plants new stems will shoot up quickly to 10 feet or more in height!

Helpful Articles

Click on the link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant, prune, feed and water Hardy Hibiscus plants.

How To Plant And Care For Perennial Hibiscus

Plant Long & Prosper!

Questions? Contact Us!

Meet The Wilson Brothers & Staff

Received the plant in great condition. I immediately planted it and so far it is doing well. I had bought other plants labeled “Confederate Rose” from plant nurseries and garden centers and they were Hibiscus, but not Confederate Rose. This appears to be the real thing; so I am excited for it to grow and bloom.—————————————Yay! Thanks for the kind words and wonderful review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Just wanted to send y’all a note to say how much I appreciate the health of the plants I just received (3 hibiscus mutabilis) and the incredible customer care provided by Sherry … these were to be gifts to friends and I wasn’t sure how your stock may be at the end of the season, so she was kind enough to send me photo ops of the new babies to get my approval and then work through the shipping timeline so they didn’t sit on a truck over the long holiday weekend … I REALLY appreciate the extra time Sherry took in the course of a no doubt very busy day to make sure the purchase was 100% successful (my first with y’all but certainly not my last!) … thx!—————————————————————————–Wow! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Blue satin rose of Sharon Is doing beautifully he came in totally healthy and strong roots thank you I love shopping with y’all—————————————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Strong and healthy——————————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

received (3) healthy plants that were beautifully packed / hydrated … i was giving 2 away as gifts and put a note in the order to let me know if the plants (ordered at the end of the season) were in good shape or whether I should make another choice … received a text from Sherry with a couple of photos of the plants she intended to send – easily 3′ tall and looked great … she was worried about shipping them right before the Labor Day holiday (didn’t want them to sit in a hot truck for a long weekend) so we agreed to hold up until the following week … I’ve had a lot of experiences (good and bad) with online plant ordering, but Wilson Bros has won me over … it was very hard to find the Confederate Rose and after reading reviews I decided to take another chance with online ordering … really revived my faith that there are companies / employees that truly care about what they do and want to do the job right … Thanks y’all!—————————————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

We bought the confederate rose and it immediately sprouted new leaves and grew taller. I’m sure it helped that we had rain, but our new plant is settled in nicely. I was so pleased with the buying experience and plant quality I ordered more plants and was equally pleased. I get the exact plant variety I want delivered to my door.—————————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

This is my second purchase from Wilson Bros. I previously purchased two Forsythia bushes last year. They are doing beautifully, so I decided to purchase two of these Hibiscus bushes. They arrived in excellent shape, and are also doing great. I would absolutely recommend this company for anyone looking to make a plant purchase online.—————————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

I lost the survey email or inadvertently deleted it, but want to tell you how much we love the confederate rose. It arrived healthy and we planted it within 24 hours. Here is a picture of it. I will recommend Wilson Bros to others!—————————————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks so much for the photo! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

I ordered the one-gallon CR and it was well packaged, watered and tall. It has filled with leaves in the two weeks I have placed it outdoors. I am looking forward to seeing it bloom. The company has kept in touch and this shows that they care about their customers. I will order from them again.———————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Shipping was fast and the plant looks great. Cant wait to see it take off in my garden.————————————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

I ordered the Confederate Rose in November. It arrived quickly and was much larger than I expected. I planted it the next day and it seems to be thriving. Great job Wilson Bros. I will order again from this company.——————————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

The rose arrived in excellent condition. It is still living as of now.——————————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

I received the CONFERERATE ROSE. IT’S BEAUTIFUL. IT HAS BLOOMED.
THANK YOU.———————————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

This Rose Hibiscus-Rose Mallow was beyond my expectations. It was a very healthy plant and in two weeks gorgeous flowers were blooming. I will definitely order from this company again. It is awesome that this company does a follow-up with customers to check on product ordered. Do not hesitate to order from Wilson Bros Gardens.———————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Plants arrived well packaged and healthy.
Now let’s hope my green thumb works for planting.———————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Very healthy beautiful plant. Anxious for the blooms. I’m sure it will be gorgeous.
Plant came packaged without any damage. Very pleased.———————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

I received my plant on time, packed well, So pretty. I have planted it in a good spot so the neighbors can see it. It is growing great, cant wait for the blooms. Thanks Tyler, I am so happy!!!!———————————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Healthy plant, looking forward to seeing it in the fall.————————————————We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂

I bought the hibiscus rose for a friend to replace one her mean neighbor cut down recently. It had been a gift from her late father.
It’s such a beautiful tree. I wish my garden could accommodate one, but I only have a courtyard flower bed, too close to a tall wall.
I was very impressed with how fast my order came! I have recommended your company to family and friends.
Many thanks!————————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope your friend enjoys it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

I received my Confederate Rose Hibiscus this afternoon. I just wanted to let you know how impressed I am with my order. My plant arrived in excellent condition. It hadn’t moved in the box at all. I am so excited to watch it grow. Buying plants online is a lot like buying a pig in a poke, you never know what you’re getting. Well, I just wanted you to know what an excellent job Mark did as he signed the invoice. And what a fantastic plant you sent me. Thank you so much I will be buying from you again and telling others as well!———————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Thank You!!
The confederate rose arrived in perfect condition.———————————We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂

Yes, everything is fine.—————————————-We are glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the nice review! Beth | WBG 🙂

I’ve order plants and trees from other places that have dissappointed me in the past. They would come mangled or damaged to the point that you would think it would never live. That has changed now. When I recieved my Confederate Rose from Wilson Bros. it look like it was just taken out of the nusery. I will do all my business with Wilson Bros. now. Thank you so much.———————-Wow! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

We purchased a 1 gallon size and within 2 weeks after planting the Confederate Rose Has 4 blooms! Amazing! Wilson Brothers Gardens also took the time to help me process an online order over the phone and shipping was fast and well done.———————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Received the 3 gal. love the flowers. sparse foliage but will wait to see how it grows. In pot on patio in the perfect lighting, etc.————————I’m sure it will fill out! We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂

All good!!!??—————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

So far it’s doing good have planted it.——————————–We are glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the review! Beth | WBG 🙂

I was so excited to get my Confederate Rose. I tore into the box as soon as it arrived! And it arrived in perfect condition! It is Fabulous! It’s even got 3 flower buds! I can’t wait for them to bloom! Thank you so much. I know I’ll enjoy it for years to come.——————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come too! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

My plant arrived today in great condition. This is the first time I have ordered a live plant as I couldn’t imagine it beeping delivered in such great condition! It’s also much larger than I thought it would be. Just want to THANK YOU for the great service and the beautiful plant.—————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

I received my Rose mallow in superb condition 3 feet tall a tad skinny but i know it will fill out in no time . second week in ground it already has 3 buds ..
I have been using Wilson brothers during the virus outbreak they have send me many great plants. I could not have made such wonderful garden beds during these trying times without them. Thank you.
Such healthy specimens and I am growing on.———————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them all for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

My bush arrived safe and sound and I transplanted it into a bit larger pot and introduced it to the direct sun over a few days. It is growing, is healthy and I am excited to see it bloom one day. Thanks so much…———————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Very satisfied. Was a beautiful healthy plant! I have bought from Wilson Bro’s several times and always receive beautiful plants.———————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG