Overwintering a Hibiscus Tree

Last night, Sunday, the meteorologist said, "We won't see the sun again until Saturday."  I groaned.  MARCH in New England!  When I woke up I saw this in my foyer:

Even better, there was SUN and it lasted for a couple of hours!

The pink hibiscus blossom delighted us all day!  We have a 5' hibiscus tree that we have overwintered in our foyer for 9 years.  Often in the fall, and then periodically in the winter, we will have a gorgeous blossom that lasts for about a day or two.  In the spring, the plant blossoms more frequently.

The whole tree looks scraggly -- in the pic above you can see the insect ravaged leaf, but, occasionally, we see a bud and look forward to tropical pink!  

Hibiscus plants and trees are relatively common to see in the summer and widely available at nurseries, grocery stores, and Home Depot/Lowes.  Few people seem to realize that with minimal care you can keep these plants indoors and enjoy occasional blossoms all year.  Obviously, the more care you give the plant the more blossoms you will get.  

Our hibiscus is semi-neglected.  I water it about once a week.  I recently cleaned its leaves.  At least once a winter I have to drench it in insecticidal soap to kill aphids.  When it was smaller, I picked it up and put it in the shower to clean its leaves.  In the spring I give it fertilizer.  I've been meaning to repot it for several years...  Before we had children this plant looked gorgeous and produced a lot of blossoms throughout the year.  

Here are some tips for keeping a Hibiscus tree inside:

• Always remember: this is a tropical plant.  It likes, sun, warmth, moisture and humidity.  Provide it with as much of that as you can and it will provide you with lots of blossoms!
• In the fall, long before the danger of frost, use a spray nozzle to shower the leaves --lift and rinse off the undersides of the leaves too.
• Inspect the plant for signs of insect damage.  If necessary, shower leaves thoroughly with insecticidal soap.
• Pick a sunny spot in your home to leave the plant for the winter.  
• Prune to your desired shape/size -- Hibiscus produce more blossoms when cut back.
• If the plant goes dormant (most leaves fall off) you probably need more sun.  Don't throw it out.  If it's an eyesore, move it to a more discrete location and try it again in a warm and sunny spot about 6-8 weeks later.
• Allow the soil to dry out between waterings.  One good drink about once a week is all that it needs.
• Dust and clean those leaves (and undersides).
• Inspect for insect damage.  If necessary, shower leaves thoroughly.  Aphids love these plants in the winter! 
• If your plant is small enough and it is possible -- put your plant in the shower.  Let it enjoy the moisture and humidity and you will be enjoying even more blossoms!  
• Return it to your outdoor space only when nighttime temps will consistently be at least 50 degrees.  In Massachusetts, I often wait until June or mid-June to return this tropical beauty to its summer home.  
• Water frequently and enjoy.

Beat the winter blues: climb a tree

I'm fascinated by childhood as my children fascinate, challenge, and delight me.  It seems like everything they do -- they do with one hundred percent of themselves.  Their passion and ability to live fully in the moment is something that I long for! Handsome owns his little world and he loves every moment of it.

Watching a child scramble up a climbing tree is like seeing a metaphor come to life.  The juxtaposition of the massive tree and the little boy.  The old tree, the young boy.  Boy takes on life...

Boy struggles...

Boy wins. 

At this time of year, if you live in New England, or any place with too much winter, everyday life can seem like a challenge.  Or, all of life can seem like not enough of a challenge.  Many of us who live in a cold region fight the "winter blues", for at least a day or two, at some point each winter.  If that's you, then, let this little guy cheer you up; if he can gleefully carry his small self up this intimidating staircase then you too can gleefully carry on!

Here's to carrying on with a child-like spirit!  Take that, winter!