Question
Hello, I have a container grown double hibiscis shrub. I have had it for several years. I live in zone 7, Maryland so I must bring the plant in when threat of frosts begin. This year I brought the plant in and all the leaves turned yellow and fell off! Then the branches died, the bark shrunk on the branches, the main truck is alive. Should I prune down to the live area? Why did this happen? Shock? I kept the plant watered, so water should not be a problem. Please help, I don't want the tree to die.

Answer
Maria,
The tropical Hibiscus with the big double blooms is what you are describing.I know how beautiful they are,I have been around them and worked with them for many years. They tend to be dramatic and picky and almost human in their demands.And what I have learned is...there isn't anything you can do,except wait it out.
Just imagine how you would feel if you lived in a tropical rainforest and someone took you out,put you in a pot then to a strange environment,then the tempurature dips below 40 and then you are put indoors in dry heat and no sun.
These plants are not in their usual living climate where they thrive all year long and bloom to their hearts content.So unless you have a greenhouse that can mimic the same environment as a tropical rainforest,it's pretty much an experiment to see if they will survive.
The thing is though that my aunt had some of these for several years and they even bloomed in the winter indoors!But she did have an open lighted back sun porch and they liked it just fine because there was no shock from being brought in to a totally new environment.She got them inside before the temperatures started dropping and accustomed them to their new home before any temperature change developed.And those plants really thrived! She had a big attraction to the double bloom ones and they are simply gorgeous,so I know how you feel about losing them.
I can't say that yours are dead and never will bloom again,because I don't know and I can't see them first hand,but I wouldn't give up on them because they could just be in shock.DON'T overwater them.Just leave them as is for a while.DO give them as much light as possible.Either natural light through a big window,or a plant light above or beside them.Make sure they aren't overheated with dry air.Just keep the soil moist,not wet.Once they are in the same environment for a little while,they may perk up and start putting on new foliage.Once they do that,you know they are fine.They may not thrive and bloom until spring or summer or whenever they are put back outdoors.Like I said before,all you can do is wait,and that is a big part of gardening. Hope this makes you feel a little better!