Red Hibiscus Blooms Indoors at Holiday Time

Living in the upper midwest means snow, but a few years ago my hibiscus tree bloomed prolifically indoors just in time for the holidays.

Today, as I am sitting in our cabin in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, we are amongst snow-covered trees with more to come. Our area is under a winter storm warning. It’s common to have snow, sub-zero temperatures, and biting wind during this time of year in our neck of the woods. It also makes being inside with a warm fire raging and bright holiday decorations very comfortable and cozy.

A few years ago, my hibiscus tree put on quite a show of red blooms during holiday time. From November through January, we had a shower of bright red flowers covering the tree in our family room. The spot I had it in must have been just right. It was a corner with southeast-facing windows. Since the tree was in a room adjacent to the kitchen that didn’t receive many holiday decorations, the red blooms became a festive, live contribution to our Christmas decor.

The bright red flowers were short lived but beautiful and fascinating to look at an admire. They was also very festive looking and matched the red poinsettias that we usually buy for color and decoration.

The buds and flowers on my indoor hibiscus tree at holiday time indicated that my hibiscus was happy with the care I was providing it. The light from the east and south facing windows mimicked the light it had when it was on our deck, outside, only a few feet away but without the protection a warm house.

Summers in Wisconsin can be hot and humid, much like the tropical environment that this plant would have in its native environment. Bringing the hibiscus inside is always a bit of a risk, but leaving it outside would mean certain death from the cold winters.

Hibiscus like to be consistently watered. If they don't have enough water, they will not produce blooms. Again, I felt happy that I must be doing something right for this tree to not only survive but produce so many beautiful blooms.

The flowers are short lived on this tree, lasting only a day. But with so many buds - up to thirty at one time - I always had some flowers in bloom. This continued for a period of eight weeks, from November through January. The tree was repotted prior to bringing it indoors and I believe fresh soil and being placed in a spot where I could closely monitor its need for water were key in how prolific the blooming was.

We no longer have this indoor tree, but it will be remembered as a favorite for years to come! The red blooms brightened our home during the holidays in a most natural way! Have you ever decorated with live plants?

Habits and Care of a Tropical Hibiscus Tree

Here are some general tips to the care of a Hibiscus tree from The Spruce.

Sun: Bright sunlight for northern climates. If it's not blooming it might need more sun. At least 2-3 hours of sun is needed each day in the winter months, inside your home. Once you find a place in your home where the tree does well, leave it there.

Water: Water frequently - every one to two days if your home environment is dry. You'll note that the leaves and blooms drop readily if your plant is too dry.

Temperature: Since hibiscus are tropical plants, they do not like it to be cold. A home temperature above 55 degrees is necessary. I found that after I moved my plant to a warmer room in the house, 72 degrees, it performed better. Be sure to get your plant inside before nights start to cool off in the fall. These trees can be easily killed by weather that we don't consider cold. Bring it in if the temperature drops to 50 degrees or less.

Fertilizer: I never directly fertilized my tree, but as stated above, I did repot it in fresh soil that contained slow release fertilizer.

Pets: My tree bloomed best during a time when our family did not have pets. This is just something to think about.

Have you ever decorated with live plants?

Leave me a note in the comments!

This article was previous published today on my Medium page under the title: Decorating With Plants- The Red Blooms of a Tropical Hibiscus. It has been amended on this page to include care and habits of the hibiscus.