Hibiscus: A Confederate Rose In A Yankee Garden, 0 by Michael_Ronayne

Michael_Ronayne wrote:
Kay,

The “Summary Of The Intention” in the Plant Patent touches on all the high points.

The distinguishing feature of 'Alma's Star' is its unusual bloom. 'Alma's Star' exhibits buds of unusual size at the tips of its flowering stalks. These buds open up to present a flower that is a bundle of five distinct flowers, four outer and a central cluster that produce a bundle similar to a quartered rose.

To that I would add the Alma’s Start is obviously more cold tolerant than the typical Hibiscus mutabilis. That would not be an important issue for Florida gardeners but critical for anyone in Zone 6 which I suspect is about the limit for this Hibiscus.

The flower is also seedless which means that there is no seedling dispersal issues to worry about and seedless flowers tend to last longer and bloom with greater abundance although that has yet to be proven in the case of Alma’s Star.

One of the flowers has been open for four days now and appears to grow a little larger each day. I have not observer any profound color change yet although the oldest flower appears to be a little less pink. I am planning to dissect a few flowers to ascertain the condition of the reproductive structures but there is so little color in my garden that I can quite bring myself to sacrifice a flower just yet. One interesting observation is that honeybees, which tend to ignore my Hibiscus, find Alma’s Star irresistible.

Attached is a picture of three of the flowers which greeted me this morning. A small but welcome benediction before the onset of winter,

Mike