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How Big Do Hibiscus Trees Get? (Plus Tips to Control Their Size)

How Big Do Hibiscus Trees Get? (Plus Tips to Control Their Size)

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Hibiscus trees are quite beautiful, and you might want to have one that you can keep in your yard. It’s certainly going to add a bit of charm to your property.

However, you might be worried about whether you have enough room for one. If you don’t know a lot about these trees yet, then you likely don’t know how big they can get.

How big do hibiscus trees get on average? Are they fairly large trees?

Keep reading to get more information about these gorgeous trees. You’ll also learn a bit about what you can do to control the size of a hibiscus tree.

The Size Will Vary

The size will vary depending on the type of hibiscus that you choose to get. There are quite a few different hibiscus varieties and each of them will grow differently.

For example, you could choose to buy a petite hibiscus if you want a tree that isn’t too large. The hardy hibiscus is known to grow only three feet tall and approximately two feet wide.

Many of the perennial varieties of hibiscus trees will be a bit taller than that. Some of them can grow as tall as seven feet and most will be around three feet wide at maximum growth.

A standard hibiscus tree can grow a lot taller. You can buy a tree that will eventually grow to be twelve feet tall.

One of the most popular varieties of hibiscus is the Chinese hibiscus. It can grow up to ten feet tall and eight feet wide.

As you can see, there’s a lot of variance in the size of these plants. It’s also worth noting that many types of hibiscus plants on the markets are shrubs rather than trees.

If you want to add a hibiscus to your yard, then it’s going to be best to research the different types. You can learn about how big they get and exactly how each variation looks.

This will allow you to make an informed decision so that you can be happy with your choice no matter what. It should be quite easy to get a beautiful plant that will look incredible in your yard.

Controlling the Size of the Hibiscus

You’ll be happy to hear that it’s possible to control the size of the hibiscus no matter what type you decide to purchase. It’s simple to do this with regular pruning practices.

If you want to keep a hibiscus tree small, then you’ll want to prune the stems down to the second or third node. This prevents the tree from being able to get as large as it normally would.

Ideally, you’ll want to make these cuts a quarter-inch above the chosen node. You’re supposed to approach the cut at a 45-degree angle, and it’s best to do it on the side where you’d like to see new growth.

Anyone who wants to try to keep a hibiscus tree a bit smaller will be able to use this method just fine. It’s best to use it to try to keep the tree from getting too wide, though.

Even with this knowledge, it’d still be better to buy a variety of tree that is the right size for your yard. If you want a tree that won’t grow too tall, then there are many options for you to choose from.

Encouraging Fast Hibiscus Growth

Of course, many are going to want to help their hibiscus trees to grow as fast and as strong as possible. There are some things that you can try to do that will help to promote growth in your hibiscus tree.

You should try to fertilize the plant using a fertilizer that has lots of potassium. This really helps hibiscus plants to grow quite a bit.

Ideally, you should use a liquid fertilizer to get this job done. Do your best to fertilize the soil near the hibiscus tree evenly so that it can get all of the nutrients that it needs.

One thing to remember is to avoid using fertilizers that contain too much phosphorus. This mineral has the potential to kill hibiscus plants, and this means that you want to be very careful.

Aside from using standard fertilization methods, it’d also be a good idea to add some compost to the soil each year. Compost that is made from worm castings or bark will be particularly useful.

Taking the time to make your own compost is rather easy, too. It’s a good thing to do on your property when you’re trying to get rid of organic waste responsibly.

You can make a simple compost bin in your yard that you’ll be able to use all the time. It’ll make you feel good to know that you’re using up organic materials in natural ways.

This sort of activity is good for the environment, and it really can help your tree out. Compost is great for the soil when you’re growing many different types of plants.

Remember That Hibiscus Plants Love the Sun

Taking care of the normal needs of your tree will also be quite important. You see, hibiscus trees really love the sun and you’re going to want to ensure that they’re planted in appropriate spots.

The blooms that the trees produce will be much more vibrant if they’re receiving enough sunlight. Since you want the hibiscus to be as pretty as possible, it’s going to be best to try to give it as much sun as you can.

Simple things such as giving the plant a good amount of sunlight will encourage growth. You’ll also want to give the plant as much water as it needs.

Generally, hibiscus plants like to have the soil kept moist. It’s likely that you’ll need to water the soil near the tree during seasons when it isn’t raining as much.

Final Thoughts

Learning more about these trees will make it that much easier to make a good decision. You know that these trees have the potential to get quite big, but there are also varieties that don’t grow too large at all.

Depending on what you want, it might be better to buy a tree that will only grow to be three feet tall. You could also easily buy a tree that will be eight feet tall or twelve feet tall by the time it reaches maturity.

Just make sure that you have enough room in your yard if you’re going to be buying a larger tree. Otherwise, it might be easier to go with a smaller one.

You can try to control the size of the tree a bit by using standard pruning strategies. This can keep the tree from growing too wide, but it’s still probably easier to just pick out a hibiscus that will make sense for the area that you wish to put it in.

Remember that you can encourage the hibiscus to grow stronger and faster with the right methods. Use fertilizer to give it what it needs to thrive.

Adding compost to the soil once or twice each year will also be a good way to help the hibiscus out. So long as you’re doing your part, it should be easy to enjoy having a healthy and vibrant hibiscus tree for quite some time.

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