Only a gift from heaven could be named ‘Holy Grail’, and this hardy hibiscus lives up to its name. With an incredible amount of special attributes, there’s a whole lot to love about this plant, beginning with its dramatic dark, near-black foliage of beautiful, oval-shaped leaves. Its rich, deep red flowers are enormous at 8-9 inches across and bloom all summer into fall. The red and black colors perfectly complement each other. As an added bonus, once the flowers are finished, bright green calyxes (sepals of a flower, typically forming a whorl that encloses the petals and forms a layer around a flower in bud) starkly contrast the dark foliage.

‘Holy Grail’ matures into a spectacular mound that you’ll want to place in an easily viewed area. Its masses of flowers continue all summer into fall. Use ‘Holy Grail’ Hibiscus as a focal point in your sun garden, as a hedge, a stunning container specimen, or showy background plant. Perfect for a tropical garden effect, it looks just like its tropical cousin, yet the flowers are bigger and come back year after year. Designated a Plant of Merit by the Missouri Botanical Gardens for its ornamental value and dependable landscape performance.

Plant in full sun, at least 6 hours of sun a day, although with afternoon sun you can get away with a little less. Although drought tolerant they will perform best with consistent moisture. Hibiscus die back to the ground every year. Cut back dead wood in early spring. Hibiscus are one of the last perennials to emerge in spring, sometimes not until mid to late spring. They grow quickly though, catching up fast to other perennials.