Hibiscus Petra

this is Petra, a color sport of Erin Rachael. smae shape size and foliage, just a different color form.

This is 'petra' on the left and its original form 'Erin Rachael 'on the right.both are great bloomers and stay relatively shorter than most garden forms of hibiscus.
:-)

Thanks for the side by side photo.

They are both great looking blooms!

Here's mine! She's a dear little flower on a compact plant. Very charming.

I LOVE how these plants change color in different conditions. Interesting to note that this one stays smallish. Any other smaller varieties out there?

Yea. Banana Parfait.

Here's another shot.

Oh, how pretty and delicate looking. Thanks

Kyle, in my experience Petra flowers are a wee bit larger and the blooms last a day longer than Erin Rachael. In fact, needing to downsize my collection, I gave away Erin and kept Petra. The blooms look identical when they open, and the differences aren't very noticeable until the second day. I get 3 days out of Petra in the greenhouse. During the summer outside, they only last 2 days. Does this parallel your observations?
Toxi

Here is picture of my Petra, second day:

Gordo, do you have a good east coast source for hibiscus?

Toxi, my petra and erin's are about the same on lasting length, as for size the petra seems just a tad larger. I crossed petra with another flower so will see if it sets seeds as good as Erin does.

Your crosses are turning out great! Wish I had the space to play like that.

Can I ask you something that is off subject?
Since you are in greenhouses all the time, you might have an answer for me.
I have some of my hibiscuses underplanted with petunias. The single flowering types have bloomed all winter, but the doubles are just making loads of foliage. In fact, they are so lush I wonder if they are overfertilized? Or do they need more heat (60 degrees at night in my small greenhouse) or longer days??? I keep hoping for a terrific show of color but instead I have had to cut them back a couple of times because of the rampant growth.
I thought it was almost impossible to overfertilize petunias.
Any thoughts?

don't fertilize them so much in winter.By underplanting them it makes it hard to fertilize them AND the hibiscus properly, since hibiscus resent high phosphorus fertilizer and petunias need it , makes it hard to cater to both.Give them full sun if possible, temps in the low 70's upper 60's and pinch only if really necessary. :-)

Okay, thanks Kyle. Not sure what I'll do about it, though, LOL. The petunias have been in there 9 months now...too big to take out without ruining them...they bloomed real good all summer and fall. They are very bushy and they do set teeny buds but they never develop into flowers.

I did not know that hibs resented too much phosphorus...I will have to look at whatever I've been using...I think it is highly diluted 15-30-15 (feed every time I water from a large barrel of fertigate) which could cause problems. I also used a systemic rose fertilizer/insecticide (granules) to help control mites/whiteflies. Not sure what the NPK was on that, but maybe they are just getting too much Nitrogen.

I enjoy your comments and photos. Thanks for all your contributions to DG, Kyle. (I still have your Egytian Room thread marked to watch, too!)
Toxi

Toxi..yu honor me. :-)

Yu deserve it!

Nice pictures and good info.

I really don't know of a good east coast source, but I've found very good hibiscus at Home Depot.