My tropical hibiscus was hit by frost, causing the leaves to turn brown. Is it too late to bring it inside for the winter?

Answer #1 · Maple Tree's Answer · Hi Janet-A couple of freezing nights will normally not do much harm to your hibiscus. Yes it can cause the leaves to brown but should not kill the plant. It should be fine if it is brought indoors now. Unless you have a green house or atrium room it will most likely look poorly during the winter but this is normal as it has gone into a dormancy state. Your home or a garage would work fine for a place to keep the plant during the winter months. The main things to do when overwintering your tropical hibiscus indoors is to keep it in a location that stays warmer than 50 degrees F. and an area with some light. During the winter it will need very little water compaired to the summer months. Only water the plant when the top few inches of soil feels dry. It is better to keep it a little dry than too wet as too wet a soil can harm the roots. If the plant starts to produce new leaves but they are more yellow in color this is normal when growing indoors without much light. If the plant has dropped all its leaves but the stems are still pliable don't worry as your hibiscus has just gone into dormancy and will recover in the spring as temperatures rise.

Please ask if you have any other questions.

John)