Question
Hi,my mom received a hibiscus tree. She Lives in Michigan. When she got the tree it was in October last year. It was doing fine, until lately. It has lost most of its leaves except for a couple of small sprouts near the bottom of the tree. Can we save the tree?

Answer
Tell me, is this an INDOOR Hibiscus in a pot that you are growing in Michigan, or an OUTDOOR 'Rose of Sharon' Hibiscus (hardy) in the ground?

These can be fickle plants, especially the indoor Hibiscus.  Which seem to have more trouble in the Winter -- so I want to make sure we are talking about the same plant.

Any change is stressful to a Hibiscus.  That can include a change in light, watering, temperature, fertilizer, sometimes just turning the plant around can spook a Hibiscus.  What are you doing differently?

If you did grow this outdoors in full sun all this time, and it is suddenly looking miserable, you could have a watering problem.  But you did not mention wilting or even a yellowing of foliage.

If there is yellowing, was it upper or lower leaves?  Howa re the 'small sprouts' doing?  They may be preparing to replace the ones that were lost -- a good thing.  Any dropping of flower buds?  Any other problems you can find?

Could be your plant just needed a rest.  New growth says it's revving up.  You can also try pruning, which stimulates growth and is scheduled AFTER a rest period.  These are fast growers so any pruning will be a memory in a few weeks.

With signs of life, you can try very low doses of high Phosphorous fertilizer for lots of flowers.  Fertilize ONLY when the soil is moist, and dilute the fertilizer a lot, using it often.

You should also check the pot to see if the roots are filling it up.  Maybe it needs to be repotted.

Finally, if this plant has an undertray, make sure there is not a lot of water left standing in it.  You want to get air to the roots and keep anaerobic bacteria out of the neighborhood.  Standing water is an open invitation to all anaerobes to move in and enjoy the view.

Hibiscus can be finicky and fickle plants, Matthew.  For some people, that's way too much work.  I think if your mom continues to tend this plant, she will get the knack for making them thrive.  We gardeners learn more from our mistakes than anything else.  Keep me posted.  Please clarify if I got this question wrong.  Thanks for writing.