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The largest group of plants in the Malvaceae (mallow) family is the genus Hibiscus. Hibiscus plants are known for their large, showy flowers with deep-colored bases. The plants range from low, spreading forms to upright varieties reaching 20 feet in height. Some are compact and dense while others are open and thin. The flowers can vary in size from blossoms two inches in diameter up to 12 inches, with colors ranging from white to purple. The flowers of most varieties last only a day, with the blossoms opening early in the morning and wilting by late afternoon; however, the flowers of a few varieties remain open for two days. Most hibiscus are odorless, but some of the basic varieties have a modest fragrance. |
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Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is the state flower of Hawaii, and the national flower of Malaysia. Also known as the Chinese hibiscus, it is probably the most popular and widely planted shrub of the tropics. It is believed to be native to China and came to the world by way of the South Pacific and Hawaii. Little is known about the early history of tropical hibiscus. The Chinese hibiscus may have been hybrids of two or more species from areas near the Indian Ocean. One popular ornamental family member that is more cold-hardy than most is the rose-of-sharon (shrubby althea). A few species, like okra, can be eaten, and cotton provides one of the world's most popular clothing fibers. Some types hibiscus have been used to make dyes. |
| All of the astounding variety of hibiscus cultivars have been established by plant breeders. Most hibiscus varieties have been developed for a particular growth habit, size, shape and color of flower, and the ability to adapt to specific environmental conditions. Although the six basic colors are red, orange, yellow, white, lavender, and brown, breeding has created a wide range of color combinations and shades, and flower forms. Hibiscus flowers are basically characterized as single or double forms with variations in the number and arrangement of petals. Flowers that have been picked from the plant don't need any water, but, if they're going to used in the evening, should be refrigerated until it's time to display them. Hibiscus are used in the landscape as informal hedges or screens, background or foundation plants, usually in a mass planting of a single variety. Selected varieties, called "standards," may be trained to grow with a single trunk and are often used as attractive specimen plants for patios, terraces, and flower gardens. Single blooms typically have five petals, five stigma pads, a five cell ovary, five teeth on the calyx, and five to ten bracts. The full and crested double blooms are identical but have more than five petals. With proper care the plant can bloom continuously throughout the year. In areas that are subject to frost, hibiscus can be grown in pots and brought inside for the winter. Many of the basic, non-grafted varieties will come back from the roots if a frost kills the upper plant. When a hibiscus plant dries out to the point where the leaves wilt for more than one day, the leaves will dry up and fall off; however these leaves will grow back rapidly. Dropping leaves is a method the plants use to reduce moisture loss. |
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| Many hibiscus aficionados increase the number of plants they have by using cuttings, a practice known as cloning or asexual reproduction. Select the best tips; look for good leaf color and a robust upright growing stance. Water the plants in the morning before taking the cuttings. Use sterilized shears. Count down about 4 leaf nodes to where the stem starts turning from light green to brown. Make each cut at a 45 degree angle just below a leaf node. Remove the lower leaves from the cutting, as well as any large top leaves. Dip the point of the cutting into a rooting stimulant, and then insert them into the growing medium only as deep as necessary to keep them upright. The cuttings should be fully rooted by the end of 6 weeks, and can then be transplanted. If the cuttings have been rooted in a green house, they should be hardened off before transplanting, by switching them to regular irrigation, and moving them out into the sunlight during the day, and back indoors for the night, for a few days. | |
Some more pages with information about hibiscus:
| Crop Plant Resources | |
Outreach and Educational
Resources | | Molecular
Biology Program |
Please send comments and suggestions to: moconnel@nmsu.edu
Last Updated: August 27, 2001
