The hibiscus is a genus of tropical and sub tropical shrubs originating in south-east Asia and China now growing happily in many relatively frost-free parts of the world.
The Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is the evergreen and frost tender variety on sale in garden centres and nurseries and because of its versatility is generally planted in public gardens and parks. Shades of the Hibiscus rosa-sinensis vary considerably as do the flower size and leaf shape and depth of green.
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Hibiscus blooms are ephemeral (they last only one day) and then shrivel and die. There are single flowers with 5 petals and the doubles have many. On both varieties petal edges can be frilly or smooth. Although the most common colour is red there are other amazing colours such as yellow, pink white, apricot, salmon and sometimes a combination of two.
Some nurseries graft two varieties together, whether they be single and double or two colours. This variety of Hibiscus brings a welcome splash of colour to gardens in particularly hot climates, during the late spring and continuing right through the hot summer months and well into the autumn.
A Hibiscus well-trimmed and pruned into shape will make a wonderful bush providing plenty of colour for many years. If a hedge is required then the hibiscus will do the job perfectly. Keep well trimmed and the stem ends pinched out to promote a dense growth. The Hibiscus is also a good choice of shrub for growing up against a wall with trellis as support or over an unsightly wall or fence.
These colourful shrubs are popular container plants and are best kept to about 1m. high with their stem tips pinched to encourage flowering. Containers can be placed in full sun or even better out of the hot midday sun. They can tolerate full sun but need plenty of water during the hot summer period.
Spring and autumn are good times for planting directly into the soil. The plant will need plenty of water to get established and care should be taken with the fragile roots. The Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is not completely frost hardy and needs to be protected and sheltered from this and strong winds.
When planted in the garden they need well drained soil. A nitrogen rich fertilizer once a month during the flowering period is essential to encourage blooms. Coming from tropical regions, the hibiscus needs weekly watering during the summer months which can be reduced once the autumn rains arrive.
January is considered the best time to prune this shrub since if left unchecked it can become leggy and reach 5mts. or so. Gardeners working in the public parks and gardens are the best people to watch at pruning time. Watching and copying what they do and when they do it is the best advice since plant care does vary from area to area.
Flowers form on the new growth and tip pruning encourages a bushy plant. Dead-heading also encourages blooms.
Tip cuttings can be taken throughout the year and in a greenhouse or other humid place will root in around 3 weeks in a temperature of 22-25C.
Otherwise outside, woody cuttings can be taken in winter and semi hardwood ones in spring.
The above tips on growing the Hibiscus rosa-sinensis show that it is a versatile and valuable easy care shrub for most gardeners in a sunny, frost free area.
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