The Dawes Arboretum

Common name: Chablis rose-mallow

Family: Malvaceae (mallow family)

Distribution: Species native to e. and c. United States and s. Europe

Hardiness: USDA Zone 5

Life form: Herbaceous perennial

Comments: This hardy hibiscus, 'Chablis', is an herbaceous perennial with upright, branching stems, a partly woody base, and enormous flowers. A member of the large-flowered Carafe Series, all named after wines and descended from a species native to the eastern U.S., it blooms with pure white flowers the size of dinner plates that last for two to three days and are replaced continuously from mid-summer until early fall by new flowers from multiple clusters of buds. The plant is compact and upright and the flowers tend to face outward, with several fully open at a time from mid-summer through autumn. For best growth and flowering, plant 'Chablis' in full sun in any average garden soil. Avoid highly alkaline and dry soils. Like most hardy hibiscuses, 'Chablis' is slow to awaken and send up new stems in spring, waiting for warm soil and hot weather. After frost in autumn, dead stalks may be cut to the ground. In mild winter regions, the plants can be pruned back hard or repetitively pinched back to prompt new growth