Hibiscus 'Airbrush Effect' is a 2018 release from the amazing breeding program at Walters Gardens. This compact well-branched selection of our native Hibiscus moscheutos boasts an abundance of large 8"+ flowers with widely overlapping petals. The rich pink flowers morph toward white in the center of each petal, all highlighted by a crimson eye. Hibiscus 'Airbrush Effect' forms a 4' tall x 4.5' wide specimen with a long bloom season, starting for us in late June. Maintenance: Hibiscus 'Airbrush Effect' is a very low maintenance perennials, provided they are growing in the proper conditions. When the plants go dormant in winter, the stalks remain upright and sturdy. We prefer to leave them to give birds a place to perch. The structure also helps the garden remain much more interesting in winter than a flat carpet of brown mulch. Hibiscus sawfly is the #1 pest of most hibiscus, causing skeletonized leaves. These can be treated with a beneficial bacteria product like Dipel, which contains BT bacillus. Growing Conditions: Hibiscus like 'Airbrush Effect' grow naturally in standing shallow water, although they are quite drought tolerant for short period. The drier the soil, the more the plants will be stressed, which increases the severity of insect damage. Garden Value: Perennial hardy hibiscus add an upright garden form to the garden, as well as summer flowering when many spring perennials have finished flowering or gone dormant. Also, there are few plants with such a floral show that tolerates wet soil. Natural Impacts: Bees are the primarily pollinators of all of the herbaceous, hardy hibiscus.
