Hibiscus: Ohio hardy hibiscus 2011, 0 by kljflower

kljflower wrote:
Just wanted to share a few pics from this year and to note that I am noticing so many variations. For example, I'm finding the all pink blooms that are most like H. Moscheutos seem to still be open in the early evening unlike everything else that has been closed by mid afternoon. Also, some seem to have the same uniform type of leaf but other plants have a combinations of shapes of leaves on the same stem - seems random but will have to take a closer look at that. Some have obviously come up from seed but others near each other seem to some how be spreading and merging. One plant that came up from seed in between the cracks of the concrete blocks in the dog run had two different shaped flowers on it this morning! I don't know if all these anomalies are a good thing or a bad thing. I have yet to see any other hibiscus like mine anywhere else around here locally but they are off-spring of some really old plants given to me years ago. Hoping to talk with a grower in a nursery near here and get their opinion. I'm fortunate to have lots of bees in the yard - large and small - both love to bury themselves in the center of the flower. Sometimes I wonder if the bees have brought pollen from the gardens at the nearby nursery. There was a beautiful pink really large bloomed hibiscus in the yard across the street but I don't see it this year. Is it likely pollen could come from across the street or down the road a half mile? Just for fun I tried pollinating two blooms that are unusual in that they don't have an eye and they are white in the center with pink about halfway up the petal. There was still lots of pollen (they are very close to the ground - leaning over -think the bees missed them) so it was easy. I guess I'm a little over the edge on this new hobby but there just seems so much to learn.