If your area is prone to frost, ask the plant specialist in your local garden centre to suggest a suitable variety.

It must have reliable water across the hotter months, or during dry periods. Your hibiscus will need good-quality, free-draining soil with added composts and manures. for smaller varieties, as an excellent potted plant.įor the best flowers, plant your hibiscus in full sun in a warm position, ensuring protection from strong or damaging winds.to celebrate its lush foliage, which means the plant looks excellent even when not in flower.as a great addition to tropical and resort-style gardens.Hibiscus can be used in many ways, including: Check that the variety you select is a suitable size and is tolerant of your particular conditions, especially if you're in a cooler region. Select your hibiscus when it is in flower to make sure the colour suits your needs. There are some more recently developed varieties that will flower across the warmer months. Typically, hibiscus has a vase-like form with a short, stout trunk.Īlthough often described as a summer-flowering shrub, it flowers mainly in spring and then again in autumn, with spot-flowering in between. Hibiscus is an evergreen shrub, sometimes a small tree, of variable size. Combine these knockout warm-season flowers with lush, deep green foliage and you've got a plant that's a must-have for any tropical-look or resort-style garden. They're instantly recognisable, with their wide-open trumpet-like flowers and pronounced stamen – and that colour range! You'll find just about every imaginable colour available, even striped forms, and they can be as large as 15cm across. You'd be hard pushed to find flowers more flamboyant than those of the Hawaiian hibiscus. Appearance and characteristics of hibiscus

Watering: must have regular, reliable water over the hot months. Controlled-release fertiliser, supplemented with composted manures. Some varieties tolerate minor frost.įlowering: large, distinctive colourful flowers from early summer through until winter.įeeding: heavy feeder. Oval-shaped but variable, often with ragged 'teeth' on the edges.Ĭlimate: tropical and sub-tropical, warm temperate and sheltered areas of cool temperate. Name: hibiscus, Hawaiian hibiscus ( Hibiscus rosa-sinensis cvs).įoliage: large, shiny, dark green leaves, up to 15cm.

Hibiscus doodle