I'm new to hibiscus and I started a dozen or so last year from some seed someone gave to me. Now they are blooming. I've looked through dozens upon dozens of hibiscus' in the plant files and I just can't seem to make a definate match. This is probably a fairly common hibiscus. Bloom is about 6" + in diameter.
Any help you can provide in identifying this one would be greatly appreciated!!
(Additional photos available)
Thanks,
Donna
I wonder if it is a hardy hibiscus, Donna.
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/5740/
So pretty!
How can you tell... I mean, it looks as if the "hardy hibiscus" can be most any color. Is it in the configuration of the pedals... foliage... or what? It looks identical to the one posted under your link ... the photo posted by Badseed.
Thanks,
Donna
The leaves in the hardy ones are different. The tropicals have a shinier, waxier look and the hardy ones don't. At least that's what I've seen.
Pardon the bug attacks shown in this pic... but here is a pic of the foliage.
BTW... what is the best bug prevention for these plants. I have them in the backyard and my dog is an issue... I currently use nothing. But obviously I should.
Thanks,
Donna
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that is a hardy. The leaves and the stems have that soft, velvety look to them although the shape of the leaves is bordering on that of a tropical. The flower shape however, is more of a hardy.
Do the blooms last just for a day?
Donna
Yes, there are exceptions, especially in some of the newer hybrid tropicals, but most hib. blooms only last one day.
I agree Alice. It is the leaves and actually the flower looks different too if you had them side by side with the tropical H.
Still SO PRETTY! I have seen huge clumps of them with so many flowers it makes your heart leap.
And no fuss. They come back each year on their own.
I was told they were bi-annuals. But I suspected they would be perenials.
Well, I am pollinating my heart out... I have so many as it is (about 20 believe it or not). But, I want seeds to share. So, if you want some when I get some, just let me know.
From this batch, I may have a different color coming... the buds are a lighter color... should be a bloom in the next day or so.
Plus, seedlings I just started this year of named varieties. I can tell the foliage is different on them.
BTW... how do you know when a seed pod is ripe for the picking of seeds with a hibiscus?
Thanks for all of your help!!
If you guys want seeds... let me know!
Take care,
Donna
I remember years ago when I was young, I went back East visiting, I bought my Mom a white one with a red eye. I planted it by her front door and told her just wait to see how big these flowers were. Well she was so kind and left the plant planted and it came up for years. Years later I realized it was so bizarre to plant it where I did in a formal garden. I plopped it in front of an espaliered tree against their brick house, ruining the look. My eye has always been on the big flowers.
Well, I just got into them this year really. I've got cuttings growing from all my neighbors. Plus, I got a bunch of different kinds of seed in trades. So, I should have quite a variety.
I'm finding that I prefer plants with large blooms. I am into liliums as well. Pretty much any kind of lily actually.
But the hibiscus is nice, at least with the ones that I have going now, you can cut them back to the ground and they will come back. This is, of course, the first time these have bloomed.
Donna
Donna you should be able to grow the tropicals inthe ground in J'ville. My kids have just bought a home in Julington Creek and I plan on sending a bunch of my extra tropicals to their new garden.
I've managed to get like 5 of these that are blooming in the ground... the rest are in gallon containers in my backyard... but they are also the ones doing the best and blooming. The ones I planted in the front yard, I don't think they are getting enough sun and probably not enough water... the sprinkler doesn't exactly hit them, but comes close. And the lack of rain. Although, it seems that rain is getting better.
I should get off my rump a bit more and get things done!!
Donna
Hey Donna, they look a lot like my hardy swamp hibiscus. No blooms yet, but rough estimate is 80+ buds on this one giant 5' plant. It's been in the ground two years now and I can't WAIT for them to open. I thought it had a lot of blooms last year, but this exceeds anything I had last year. Wonder if the Messenger I sprayed has anything to do with it??? or is this common?
Also, about a month ago we had a bad storm and a couple of the branches were laying on the ground, so I tied all the stems up in a bunch like I do dahlias. Think this will be okay?
What is Messenger spray?
Mine do have a lot of buds on them.
Thanks,
Donna
Messenger is a product that, in layman's terms, is made from a milk protein so it is totally harmless, has no chemicals or anything, and when sprayed on the foliage of plants makes the plant think it is under attack and it mounts its defenses against the unknown "foe". Since plants survive by reproducing themselves, this usually results in stronger foliage and more abundant flowers and fruits. That is a really simplistic explanation, but if you do a search on here on Dave's Garden you can find lots of stuff on it. There was even a Messenger co-op a few months ago here.
Oh yeah, on the seed pods, if it is like mine, you can't miss it. They will turn brown (don't pull them off until they look like they are just about to pop open). Each one of my pods had 50+seeds. I gave a bunch away last year. If anyone wants some this year, let me know, I'm sure I'll have tons.
Here's mine it's a hardy and comes back year after year for me.
This is close to yours , it just isn't fully open.
