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Commonly known as Chinese rose or Rosemallow, the hibuscus is not a true rose but a member of the Malvaceae family and is related to the vegetable, ladies finger. The flowers and leaves of the hibiscus are edible and extracts of some species of the hibiscus has been used in the treatment of many ailments. It is used in offerings, traditional medicine, food, shoe dyes and cosmetics
From the original species, many hybrids have been developed over the years. The blooms come in a wide assortment of colors such as pink, orange, white, red, yellow and purple. The flowers last only a day but because of it’s free flowering nature it is always in bloom in a tropical country like Singapore. There are some hybrids which produce blooms that measure up to 25cm in diameter. Some hybrids also have blooms which change color throughout the day until it withers late in the evening. The Rose of Sharon, produces pure white flowers which turns to dark pink by the end of the day.
Light:
A good 4 hours of sunshine is enough to keep this plant in bloom throughout the year.
Feeding
The hibiscus will benefit from regular light fertilizing. Giving the plant more than what it needs, and is able to make use of, will have undesirable effects on the plant. Too much nitrogen will encourage leaf growth with very few or no flowers while phosphorous build up will stress the plant. So it is good to choose a fertilizer high in potassium with added trace elements such as boron, copper and iron and low in nitrogen and phosphate.
Pests & Diseases
The beautiful hibiscus is prone to many pest attacks such as scale, aphids, thrips and more commonly whiteflies. A healthy plant is less prone to pest attack. If necessary use only biological means of pest control. (See Gardening 101 section for the various methods of pest control)
Pests & Diseases
The beautiful hibiscus is prone to many pest attacks such as scale, aphids, thrips and more commonly whiteflies. A healthy plant is less prone to pest attack. If necessary use only biological means of pest control. (See Gardening 101 section for the various methods of pest control)
Propagation
Can be propagated by means of seeds, stem cuttings and air-layering. Since hybrids sometimes do not root easily, they are more commonly grafted onto rootstock varieties.
Many varieties can be easily raised by stem cuttings, just follow the simple step:
- Wet the end of woody stem cuttings with
water before dipping it into the rooting hormone.
- Plant it in a perlite based potting medium
and place it away from direct sunlight.
- The cuttings will require adequate light,
warmth and moisture before successfully rooting in about 6 to 8 weeks.
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