Anyone have a trusted source for Rose of Sharon seed?

[MotherofDragons]

I am hoping to grow some Rose of Sharon plants from seed for my tortoises. I purchased several of the regular tropical hibiscus last year and most died from winter freezes. The two that survived are still struggling to come back. Rose of Sharon, California Hibiscus, or Blue Hibiscus is much better suited to my area, but locating them is a bit tricky. Even without the wait for them to be safe to feed if I bought an established plant, my local stores don't currently have any of these options.

I was hoping someone could recommend a safe/trusted online source for seeds. Seems ebay and amazon are the most prevalent search results. Organic would be ideal, an assortment of colors would be great, but I will take a look at anything. My thumb is pretty green and propagation season is coming, so I would like to source seeds now.


Alternatively, if anyone has any they would be willing to trade/sell/share, please let me know (within US only). I may have something I can share in exchange. My property has been organic/poison-free for years, and I source organic seeds and plants whenever I can.

Thanks.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Hey there.

I have a “ton” of native Maryland Hibiscus (aka Rose Mallow) seeds. Here’s a link to what they look like & how they grow. They are just now starting to bloom here in Maryland, my seeds are from last year.
Send me a PM with your address if you would like some.

https://extension.umd.edu/resource/rosemallow

 

[MotherofDragons]

Hey there.

I have a “ton” of native Maryland Hibiscus (aka Rose Mallow) seeds. Here’s a link to what they look like & how they grow. They are just now starting to bloom here in Maryland, my seeds are from last year.
Send me a PM with your address if you would like some.

https://extension.umd.edu/resource/rosemallow

I appreciate the generous offer!

Looking at the link you provided, and another, it seems this hibiscus type you have is water-loving. Unfortunately, I live in a very dry desert-like area. I do not believe it would do well here, so I will have to pass. The others I mentioned are all drought-tolerant in comparison.

Again, I genuinely appreciate the offer. I've spent a lot of time in the past trying to grow things ill-suited to my climate. Similar to the advice many give for tortoises, I learned the hard way it's best to stick with what thrives here without excruciating effort.

 

[Maro2Bear]

I appreciate the generous offer!

Looking at the link you provided, and another, it seems this hibiscus type you have is water-loving. Unfortunately, I live in a very dry desert-like area. I do not believe it would do well here, so I will have to pass. The others I mentioned are all drought-tolerant in comparison.

Again, I genuinely appreciate the offer. I've spent a lot of time in the past trying to grow things ill-suited to my climate. Similar to the advice many give for tortoises, I learned the hard way it's best to stick with what thrives here without excruciating effort.

Yes, i do agree unless you want to try growing in some pots. I just went out and snapped some pix of the blooms that just opened up in our garden.

 

[MotherofDragons]

Yes, i do agree unless you want to try growing in some pots. I just went out and snapped some pix of the blooms that just opened up in our garden.

View attachment 348114

They are Stunning!!!

Trying to grow anything in pots here is even harder than putting it in the ground. We do have a very long 300+ day growing season, no humidity (which I find means less bugs!!) to deal with, and few predators, BUT the scorching heat 1/2- 1/3 of the year is no joke.

 

[k8tburt]

Hi. Have you tried Etsy? I use it for plants and seeds and you can look for growers in your area so that you know the plants are acclimatized. I got Rose of Sharon, Mulberry and violets all from Florida (my home state) sellers.

 

[MotherofDragons]

Hi. Have you tried Etsy? I use it for plants and seeds and you can look for growers in your area so that you know the plants are acclimatized. I got Rose of Sharon, Mulberry and violets all from Florida (my home state) sellers.

I did browse on Etsy. I have not really used Etsy for seeds personally. I was hoping maybe someone could recommend a seller they got reliable seeds from.

I'm a gardener and see lots of people selling either incorrect or poorly cleaned/stored seeds often. It can be difficult to wade through especially when reviews are mostly, "I received my seeds, can't wait to grow, 5 stars." So few have actually grown and proved it is what it's supposed to be. By the time the gardener figures out they've been duped sometimes you have invested considerable time and money.

With fruit trees you have to really trust the seller, or you won't know until it fruits up to 2-4+ years later if you got what you paid for. Two fig varieties for me from Feb 2019 I'm only just learning could not be true to type. It can be aggravating.

 

[G-stars]

Where abouts in California are you located? I have a bunch of rose of Sharon bushes growing and can give you a few cuttings from them. They are the purple kind, tortoises love them.

 

[MotherofDragons]

Where abouts in California are you located? I have a bunch of rose of Sharon bushes growing and can give you a few cuttings from them. They are the purple kind, tortoises love them.

That’s very generous of you! I’m in Riverside county.

 

[G-stars]

That’s very generous of you! I’m in Riverside county.

Pm sent