{"product_id":"blue-bird-hibiscus-hibiscus-syriacus-blue-bird","title":"Blue Bird Hibiscus - Hibiscus syriacus 'Blue Bird'","description":"\u003cp\u003eBlue Bird Hibiscus (\u003cem\u003eHibiscus syriacus\u003c\/em\u003e 'Blue Bird') is a big, bushy deciduous shrub, about 2.5m high and 2m wide, with large semi-double purple-blue flowers and bright apple-green leaves. It has the tropical look of a hibiscus but is frost hardy to minus 10°C, which makes it the hibiscus for cold gardens. It leafs up in early summer and keeps flowering until the cold returns.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy you'll love it\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTropical looks, cold-proof.\u003c\/strong\u003e The big open flowers look tropical, yet the plant is frost hardy to minus 10°C, so it suits gardens where the usual tropical hibiscus would not survive winter.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePurple-blue flowers.\u003c\/strong\u003e The colour glows against the apple-green leaves, and it looks pinker in full sun.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA long season.\u003c\/strong\u003e From early summer until the cold returns, the shrub carries flower after flower.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNot fussy about soil.\u003c\/strong\u003e It tolerates most well-drained soils and needs little beyond water in dry spells and a feed before flowering.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize to match the job.\u003c\/strong\u003e At 2.5m it fills a corner or forms a generous informal hedge, and it will also grow in a large pot.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhere it works best\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInformal hedge.\u003c\/strong\u003e Plant 1.5m apart for a loose, flowering hedge. Because it is deciduous it thins out in winter, so it suits boundaries where year-round screening is not essential.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFeature shrub.\u003c\/strong\u003e A single plant in a sunny corner or beside a deck becomes a focal point from early summer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLarge pots.\u003c\/strong\u003e It grows in a big container on a sunny terrace, though a pot needs more regular watering than the garden.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eGrowing Blue Bird Hibiscus in Australia\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePosition and climate.\u003c\/strong\u003e A sunny or part sunny position gives the best flowering, and the flowers look pinker in full sun. Frost hardy to minus 10°C, it suits cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens, including cold inland districts. Expect bare stems until early summer: it is a late starter, not a dead plant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSoil.\u003c\/strong\u003e It tolerates most well-drained soils. On heavy clay, add compost and plant on a slight mound.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWater and feed.\u003c\/strong\u003e Mulch and water well in dry periods, especially in its first summers. Fertilise before flowering in late spring.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePruning.\u003c\/strong\u003e Prune in late winter while it is bare, cutting back last season's growth to shape the shrub and keep it dense. The flowers come on new growth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat to expect when it arrives\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe sell Blue Bird Hibiscus as tube stock, a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly. A shrub that matures at 2.5m starts small, and tubes are the economical way to plant a hedge. Because it is deciduous, a plant that arrives in the cooler months may carry few or no leaves, which is normal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe grower does not always have tubes to send. When there are none, the tube reads as sold out on this page, and the notify button emails you the day it is back.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003ePlant care guides and related reading\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/hibiscus\"\u003eBrowse our hibiscus range\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/blog\/hibiscus-care-guide\"\u003eHibiscus care guide for Australian gardens\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/frost-hardy-plants\"\u003eFrost hardy plants\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/deciduous-shrubs\"\u003eDeciduous shrubs\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCommon questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIs Blue Bird really frost hardy?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. It is frost hardy to minus 10°C, so cold winters do not trouble it, unlike tropical hibiscus.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy does my plant have no leaves?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is deciduous and slow to leaf. It looks like bare sticks until early summer, then bursts into leaf and flower.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat colour will the flowers be?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePurple-blue, and pinker in full sun. Our plant is a semi-double form, so each flower carries extra petals.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Nursery Near Me","offers":[{"title":"Tube (Backorder)","offer_id":67790338228543,"sku":"HIB-SYR-BLUEBI-tube","price":11.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0691\/2917\/5359\/files\/blue-bird-hibiscus-hibiscus-syriacus-blue-bird.jpg?v=1792207755","url":"https:\/\/nurserynearme.com.au\/products\/blue-bird-hibiscus-hibiscus-syriacus-blue-bird","provider":"Nursery Near Me","version":"1.0","type":"link"}