Wintering Hibiscus outside in Canada - can it be done?

[Twilight Orchid]

Hey all,
Just wondered if anyone here knows if a hibiscus can winter outside in Canada, and if so, what does one need to do to prepare it for winter? I've got a tree that I gave to my dad (it was sooo infested with spider mites and whitefly) so it was put outside, cleaned up and blooming like crazy.....don't want to bring it back inside in case of more infestations, but wasn't sure if it would survive outside, or even in the garage?

Any suggestions would be most appreciated!!
Many thanks,
Twilight Orchid

[flhiker]

I don't thinks Hibiscus can survive your winters in Canada. They grow in the ground all year here it hardly never gets in the low 30's here

[Lagoon]

Yes we do have hardy hibiscus that act as a perennial, "Hibiscus Moschuetos" these are HUGH sized flowers.
Can you post up a pic so that we may determine if its' either tropical or hardy.

[Dorothy]

If you have the typical tropical hibiscus - bring it in before any signs of frost - it won't survive lower temps - I lost a 7 foot tree by leaving it out ..

[Jeremy]

Tropical Hibiscus can not tolerate frost, so it won't survive in Canada. However, if you have hardy Hibiscus (AKA rose of sharon) then you may be able to grow it outside in a protected place if bitter cold is common norm. If you want to keep the tropical Hibiscus, then you can store it in the garage or basement, or in the shed if you live in mild regions of Canada like Vancouver.

[Twilight Orchid]

Thanks everyone...here are some pics of it....it's not in the ground, just in a basket outside....It used to just be in soil, but then my dad poured a ton of sand/mud in it, so it wouldn't blow away....don't ask I figured that would be the end of it, but the thing has been blooming non-stop....this is the first time it hasn't been covered with open blooms, but there are lots more to come out still, so go figure Either way, he really likes it and doesn't want to lose it.....I'm concerned about what might be lurking in it as far as pests go, so I don't think it should be brought back into the house, at least not without a complete soil change and a hosing down with insecticide to kill any lurkers

Any thoughts/suggestions?

[Lagoon]

Nope, she's not the cold outdoorzie type, you should take her back in.
I agree, if it's been outside all summer then you might wanna look into the soil further. When I keep the warmer hybirds - I would trim down, repot and debuggie them, and then continue to spray down the leaves with some dish soap and water inside the bath tub - dried them out some and continued to dry them with a fan.

Very pretty plant, enjoy those beautiful blossoms!

[Twilight Orchid]

Ahh ok, thank you all!! I will see what I can do with it...he's gotten attached to it, so I guess I'd better do something with it....