There is a wide variety of hibiscus species today. The Malva family includes so many beautiful plants, including this flower. It is found in nature and in cultivated areas. It is an annual and perennial plant. There are varieties in the form of trees, shrubs and even flowers, among which we distinguish between herbaceous and indoor plants.
Flower features
This perennial plant is quite common on the expanses of Eurasia. It can be cultivated as a plant that decorates rooms or gardens.
It is more than 70 years old. It was bred by the founder of the Tashkent botanical garden. The name of the professor was Fyodor Rusanov.
The first hibiscus had the following qualities:
- beauty (inflorescences were large scarlet, reaching a diameter of 18 – 25 cm);
- endurance (it referred to both low temperatures and their variations, which is not unimportant for the Russian climate);
- long flowering period (from August until the first frosts in October-November).
There is nothing left of the plant in winter, only the roots. But this does not mean that the hibiscus is dead. In late spring the first signs of life will appear on it. Sparse sprouts – spears that can be two meters or even higher – will be released. Slowly, one by one, they will be covered by three- to five-year leaves.
The flowers themselves can be gigantic in size. In texture, they may be simple or terrycloth. The blooms appear on those plants that are 2 years old from the time of planting. The hues of the blooms are so contrasting that the garden can become anything from snow white to blood red.
The inflorescences eventually fade. In their place, seed bolls form, which in time not only dry out, but also turn brown.
Care: What you need to know
Not only the professional gardener, but also the novice gardener can grow this unpretentious plant. A sunny area, without draughts and wind, will be quite an acceptable place to grow. For indoor plants, the growing conditions are almost the same. If there will be direct rays of the sun, the foliage can get burns.
Hibiscus is undemanding to the soil and will accept almost any soil mixture, but it is better that it be a drained and enriched with chernozem soil.
It will withstand drought very well. Moderate frosts are not a threat to this plant either. Throughout the winter months you should provide insulation for the root system. On top of the soil, where the rhizome remains, mulch and dry leaves should be placed.
Houseplants should be taken out into open areas for sun and air baths. But it is better to protect the flower from draughts and downpours.
Virtually all hibiscus varieties are propagated by grafting, cuttings, and root division. They should be grown on western or eastern sides. When the daylight hours shorten, it gets darker in the house and office. Therefore, artificial light is a realistic way to grow a strong specimen of hibiscus.
The plant goes through its growing season at plus 20 degrees Celsius. And in the autumn and winter, 16 degrees Celsius is enough. The temperature must not be allowed to fall, because the hibiscus can quickly get rid of the leaves. But as soon as the leaves fall, attention should be paid to pruning. This is necessary in order to shape the crown. The flower will be rejuvenated if you leave sprouts, no more than 8 – 15 cm in height.
A cool place and weak watering are the first signs for the plant that it is time to hibernate.
The beauty of hibiscuses
No matter how beautiful the plant is, each variety is a unique set of signs and visuals. If you learn how to handle each one, you can delight yourself and your loved ones with the beauty of hibiscus.
Chinese rose
This variety remains both wild and cultivated. It is native to the Pacific tropics. It is also found in East Asia. It has been made an indoor crop by people who have settled in the Northern Hemisphere, living in a temperate climate zone.
Its appearance is similar to shrubs or small trees. The Chinese rose is usually no more than 4 meters tall. The green young bark turns brown on older branches. The foliage is quite large, oval, with sharp edges and a glossy surface. On the back side, the leaves are usually slightly rough.
The flowers on this hibiscus are large, reaching a diameter of 10 – 15 cm. A tall pedicel, funnel-shaped bowl, bell-shaped, long strings of pistils – these are the main differences of this plant. The Chinese rose blooms for only a few days. But this applies to a single flower. Considering that new buds can appear indefinitely, the plant pleases with bright flowers for almost ¾ of the year.
Previously, only red colors dominated in this variety. Now, however, you can find Chinese rose in soft orange shades and deep purple.
Special care is needed for this variety while it is very young. Propagation is almost always by cuttings. For the crown to be lushly flowering, a piece should be plucked from the top of the young already rooted. Spraying is necessary if buds and flowers appear.
Lighting sufficient for hibiscus, feeding the plant, removing weak branches and shaping the crown – the main points of care for the Chinese rose. Fertilizer the flower likes different. True, it is desirable to choose potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus mixed together. Liquid fertilizer is added under the roots once every 30 days. The shrub likes to receive this fertilizer also during spraying.
Chinese rose is capable of pleasing the eye for about 20 years, if properly cared for.
Syrian hibiscus
Shrubs of one of the most common varieties of hibiscus are characterized by a huge height – up to 6 meters. Their branches are straight, the leaves are bright and green in the shape of an oval, the flowers are large, single, up to 12 cm in diameter, in different shades, in mahogany and simple. Even bicolor plants are found among this species. The flowering phase comes to three- and four-year old plants.
But that is not what makes this shrub special. Slow development is what makes it different from others. Moderate systematic watering slightly accelerates growth, but not too fast.
This hibiscus in a drought can shed its leaves, so watering for it – a lifeline option. At the same time is a fan of sunny areas. It will appreciate the presence of drained loamy soil.
It is better to keep young plants from a sharp drop in temperature.
To do this, you should pour leaves and fresh sawdust around the roots. This will be enough to protect the shrub from the cold. But even if it suffers from frost, it will still regain its strength in the spring. The first signs of life are shown in late spring. No matter how cold the winter was, you should wait until May to know if the root system is damaged from hypothermia or not.
Especially resistant to frost, even when the temperature drops to minus 22 degrees Celsius are terry varieties and older specimens. It is enough to feed them in autumn with potassium and you can not worry about bushes in winter.
Pruning for Syrian hibiscus consists of cutting off long branches and full removal of old ones. It has many types of propagation: the seed method, as well as through grafts, cuttings and with the help of scion.
Syrian hibiscus is perfectly used as a single plant, but often in containers are planted with lavender, which is not only able to shade the beauty of a large shrub, but also to drive away pests from it. Propagation takes place by cuttings and by seed.
Swamp variety
Indoor hibiscus of this variety does not actually exist, although some unicums try to cultivate it not only for the open ground. Its homeland is the subtropical latitudes. There you can also find it in flowerbeds.
Another name of this variety is the marsh mallow. The reason for such “names” is that this plant needs the presence of close flowing water (stream, pond) and sun.
In return, hibiscus will give gorgeous flowers, attracting attention by several parameters:
- By the variety of colors;
- The elegance of its appearance;
- Bright spots in the form of outlines.
It blooms from summer to fall. Each of its flowers is quite large. Its diameter varies from 12 to 16 cm. The flowered calyxes turn into seed bolls. The seeds in them are specific, glossy.
The foliage of the marsh hibiscus also attracts people’s eyes. It consists of large rich green leaves, slightly convex.
The plant is frost-resistant. Therefore, the foliage will remain on it until frost. If covered with snow on top, it can easily survive down to minus 25 degrees Celsius.
Often the marsh mallow reaches 3 meters in height and 6 times its width. For this reason, this variety is found as a hedge, quite suitable for exterior decoration.
Pruning of the marsh variety should be started early, even before the sap flows. It is better to do it in February – March. It is this period that is most suitable for the formation of the crown. In parallel, attention should be paid to old and damaged branches. They should be got rid of. The form that this marsh mallow will get, it will retain for the whole year.
Hawaiian variety
The homeland of the culture is the Hawaiian islands. Varieties of hibiscus can be very small. The 30-50 cm is a low-growing shrub that is compact and loved by florists as a tree-like plant. Its leaves are oblong, curved. It may look a bit like a dwarf ficus.
The flowers are five-petaled. Often folded into a single green elongated bowl.
When growing, it is very fond of diffused light. It feels comfortable at temperatures of 18 to 22 degrees Celsius above zero in summer and plus 16 degrees Celsius in winter. Without systematic watering and spraying it will not survive.
Appreciates “fat” soils, but will not refuse nitrogen fertilizer about once every 30 days. All suffering from pesky insects and pests helps to defeat “Actellic”.
Variegated hibiscus
Hibiscus varieties can be at different latitudes. There are those imported from Australian lands, as a variegated species. Covering the Pacific islands, Madagascar and African expanses, it has become a potted plant with us.
There is little difference between the variegated species and the spreading species, so many gardeners often confuse them. The reasons are simple.
The similarity concerns so many things:
- Stems that are distinguished by their uniform length;
- Flowers that have long pistils;
- method of propagation (both are best obtained by cuttings).
But hibiscus variegated leaves are all heart-shaped. The leaves are up to 10 cm in diameter. The edges have completely different irregular cross-sections. Leaves of different cross-section can be located on the same stem. Most often, the leaf plate branches closer to the top are solid, but closer to the base they are split into 3, 5 or more segments.
Stems are studded with thorns. The inner side of the leaves is tufted. There is no surface roughness.
The buds usually appear in a pale yellow hue. But in the middle they are bright, purple. Gathered in inflorescences, they are as if they duck to the ground (pointing downward). The calyxes are tufted, bright green, as if covered with tufts.
Hibiscus variegated plants love moisture and appreciate warmth and sunlight. They should be pruned and watered more often. Despite all of the above, they are quite hardy to moderately cold winters.
Sour variety
Hibiscus, a species that quickly migrated to our latitudes, is found in hot countries.
One of them is the sour, called by various names:
- African mallow;
- red-leafed carcade;
- maple-leaved sour cherry.
The reason is the special coloring. It makes the hibiscus inexpressibly beautiful.
The hybrid was given to us by the French. It combines the bio-peculiarities of Aspera hibiscus and several others. Visually it is a shrub. It belongs to the perennial plants. On its own without the presence of shelter it is able to withstand a mild winter with temperatures not below minus 8 degrees Celsius.
In temperate zones it is known as an annual. It has a dense crown. Grows up to 1.5 meters. The width of the area is up to 0.8 m. It is distinguished by elasticity and straightness of stems. Large leaves have 5 lobes each. Their surface is smooth, with clearly defined veins. The foliage itself has a mottled color with shades of up to purple, green and purple.
The flowers of this hibiscus variety are smaller than those of the previous ones. They reach a maximum diameter of 10 cm, with an average of 5 cm each. They are formed at the top of the stems. They have different colors. It is noteworthy that the veins on the foliage are in harmony with the color of the petals.
The stamens in the buds are very long. They are usually 2 cm longer than the flower itself. When the hibiscus blossoms, a seed appears on the pedicel, the shape of which is very similar to the well-known chestnuts.
This is not the whole list of hibiscuses that flower growers can enjoy.
Rather common are the following varieties:
- Arnotti;
- Sprawling;
- Drummond;
- Tall;
- Bamia or edible;
- Fragile;
- Hugel’s;
- Kaili.
Each of them is special and is capable of becoming a true decoration of the outdoor area, the winter garden or the window sill indoors.
