Strange foliage on new seedling

Wilfred, what happened to your plants with the odd leaves? I have one with the same leaves but it has not bloomed this year. Looks similar to your 1st photo. Will have to get a picture of mine posted.

Judy

Well out of all the ones with the odd leaves one had a bud on it but it fell of so I'm still waiting to see what they look like. they should start to bloom soon since they have about 1 year to 1-1/2 years already and after the year is when seedling start to bloom. Here is a few photo of the leaves.

Wilfred

Here's another different one.

Wilfred

Here's is a bronze colored leaf, it still has maintain the color on the leaf after a year only that the leaves are bigger.

Wilfred

Strangely they start out green and start to change color as the leaf matures, I have other plants next to this one and all get the same treatment so it can't be that I'm doing something different with this one.

Wilfred

Here is another seedling that seems to be doing the same.

Wilfred

Yet another one.

Wilfred

Close up of the leaf.

Wilfred

I just hope when it decides to bloom that it will look gorgeous as the leaves do. If there any seedling that I"m really waiting to see bloom, it would be these. I have more but I didn't take photos of them.

Wilfred

Thanks, Wilfred. Very interesting. Like the ones that have changed color. I posted my plant on another thread. But, I will go back & try to do a close up & put it here. Thanks again for your help. Was beginning to think I was caring for something other than a Hibiscus when I remembered your posting.

Judy

I know want you mean, but I'm sure they're hib since I mark where the seeds are planted just to be sure they are the hibs growing and nothing else for that matter and I check them on a daily bases, here's a photo of what I mean.

Wilfred

This is a closer picture of the leaf, Wilfred. The tag in the pot says, "Belize Breeze" & it shows a pink bloom on it. Its one of the breeze series that I bought at wallyworld probably last year or the year before. Thanks again, Wilfred.

Judy

Your new babies look great, Wilford.

Judy

Hey Judy, Dee got me thinking, is your "Belize Breeze" a hardy or a tropical hib.

Wilfred

Mine is a tropical HIb, Wilfred. But, I bought a Hardy this evening at Lowe's & it has leaves like your last picture with the red. Think Dee just bought one like it too so I'm going to have to find her pictures. They were on a different thread. Will take pictures tomorrow. This plant was half price & half dead but I think it was because it was dry as a bone. Hardy's like to be on the damp side. Read somewhere that people used them around their ponds. Will get a picture for you tomorrow.

Judy

Wilfred,

I happened across this discussion about 'strange foliage' and an explanation by Charles Black...

..."We often see 3 lobed leaves in seedlings, too. These are said to be a more primitive (ancient) leaf form but almost all seedling plants that show them as juveniles develop more typical leaf forms as they mature. After that all the cutting grown plants show the "normal" or mature leaf form instead of the juvenile form. It is really amazing the varied forms and colors of leaves that hibiscus can show as juveniles.

Every now and then a seedling will reach first bloom before changing leaf form and I hope that maybe it won't change. One variety that held onto the 3 lobed form is Creme de Cacao and many of its offspring also show interesting and odd leaves... "

http://www.hiddenvalleyhibiscus.com/forum/index.php/topic,56.0.html

Hi Dee, just read Charles Black explanation and he's right about the leaves changing to normal looking leaves, I have quiet a few that already have done that but I still have a few that are resisting the change and I hope they do stay with the leafs pattern they got, they sure looks nice with does leaves. He also mentioned something about the ones that have reddish leaves changing to green as plant matures and that has happen also but I got a few that are doing the reverse, there changing from green to a reddish look as the plant matures, the older the leaf the more reddish it gets, hope they stay with this tread in them as well, it's a nice color to have on the leaves, just hope the blooms are as pretty as the leaves are. If after they decide to bloom and the if the blooms are pretty and the plant keep the nice leaves shape or color pattern and if you like them, I promise you that you'll be the first person to get a cutting from them Dee. Here's a photo of one of the reddish plant and some of the leaves examples of different plants with the reddish in them.

Wilfred

Here is how the leaves start.

this is how it looks after it matures.

Here's another leaf from another plant as it first starts

Here's what it looks like after a few days.

This is another plant's leaf as they start.

Look how nice and dark the vain on the leaves get after a few days.

This is the last trio of reddish color leaf photo, this is how its starts.

It gradually changes to the reddish tones, first the veins on the leaf change to a reddish color.

And it keeps changing until the whole leaf completely changes to the reddish color.

Wow!

This message was edited Jul 14, 2010 3:28 PM

Ah...from Hawaii...that explains it. What they call "tropical hibiscus" and what we consider tropical is not quite the same. The one with the large, round leaves looks like Hibiscus tileacus. The one with the long, finger-like long leaves looks like H. trionum.

I think you got snookered.