Scarlet Hibiscus (Scarlet Rose Mallow) Hibiscus coccineus Family Malvaceae (mallow family) Height: to 7 foot. Water Depth: Likes a moist soil and can tolerate some flooding, but established plants will survive in normal soils without supplementary watering. Light: Does best in full sun. Soil: Any good garden soil. Blooms: Summer through fall.  Propagation: By seeds or root division. Seeds should be punctured with a needle or scraped with a file before planting. Hardy Zone 6 to 11. The scarlet hibiscus is a shrub-like herbaceous perennial that dies back in winter and re-sprouts in spring. Established plants can have one to several stems up to 7' tall. The five-petaled flowers are brilliant crimson red and 6"-8" across. Each lasts only a day but new ones continue to open all summer and fall. The leaves are divided palmately (hand-like) into 3-7 narrow, pointed, serrated lobes. The scarlet hibiscus occurs naturally in swamps, marshes and ditches, from southern Georgia and Alabama to central Florida. The scarlet hibiscus makes an eye-catching specimen in the landscape with its huge crimson flowers and handsome palmate leaves. Plant them next to a pond or water garden, or at the back of a bed where their elegant leaves and brilliant flowers will attract the eye. Features The scarlet hibiscus is one of the largest and most beautiful of North American native flowers.