# Hibiscus - official thread



## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

It's hard to miss these in someones yard and if you like BIG flowers, and lots of them in the warm seasons, and you most likley have one if not more.

At one time I had 14 in the ground and of course, Mr. Freeze got me, and it allowed me to rethink my in the ground plans. Now I have only two in the ground and the rest in pots, so I can make the winter migration to the garage when it gets to the lower 30's.

I have found that I like the more exotic colors like the pic below. So I wanted to start a thread of some cool pics of what you have.

BTW - I have learned to propogate them, and did real well last year with my mluti-color ones.

Below is the "Big Boss" (ruffeled and Multi-color; and gets real big)
and the " Ice Fairy" (blues and pinks; single bloom) ... both were purchased from growers that frequent the speciality shows.

Here's a list of upcoming shows from some hibiscus society experts:

Sunday, April 28 - Knights of Columbus Hall, 702 Burney Rd. Sugarland, TX.
Saturday, May 11 - Nessler Center, Wings of Heritage Room, 2010 Fifth Ave. North, Texas City, TX.
Sunday, June 2 - East Harris County Activity Center, 7340 Spencer Hwy, Pasadena, TX.
Sunday, June 9 - Bellaire Community Center, 7008 S. Rice Ave, Bellaire, TX


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## Mikeyhunts (Jun 4, 2007)

Love this thread!

Last year my four turned a little yellow with what I thought was cholorosis.(sp)
I added some super phosphate after doing some reading.
Other recommended a Epsom salt solution.

A lot of my leaves felt off last year and have not come back very strong.
Interestingly enough, I have had a TON of blooms this year.

Would love to hear your thoughts.
I love me some Hibiscus

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## Mikeyhunts (Jun 4, 2007)

I have to get one of those purple ones!




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## redfish203 (Aug 10, 2010)

Love the hibiscus, have a couple of "exotics". I don't know the name of this one, but my neighbor, who is in the garden club tried to start a bunch off of the mother plant and mine is the only one that lived. She gave it to my wife as a present to me while I was deployed in 08, 09, so it is quite special to me. It is hard to describe the colors and the flower is HUGE. I know very little about starting them but would like to know more. I will post a pic of a great one I got from fishjunky when it blooms this year.


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## homebrew (Jun 14, 2011)

whats the favorite singles (traditional) or doubles or triples.....i have a couple triples and they are crazy....ill snap a pic tonight otr when a good bloom comes out

i can clone or graft just about anything


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## bluefin (Aug 16, 2005)

Wow Redfish! Beautiful colors. 
That coloration screams island tropics. First thing I thought of was Hawaii.
Thanks for posting the pic.


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## CoastalOutfitters (Aug 20, 2004)

I have 14 in pots , some I have had for 20 years, cut the old ones back really hard in late fall or early spring

and they really like an every 3 week dose of fertilizer, try superbloom and not miracle grow

doesn't hurt to take them out of the pot in early spring...now..... beat the soil out of the roots and re-pot. really makes em take off

just starting to show buds , will post a dark red double bloom, when it gets going, it is a tree type , very interesting plant.


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## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

I have a few of these ...

When I feed it with organic food it's colors are real vibrant ...

We call it Mardi-gras ... but dont know the name


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## saltwater4life (Aug 5, 2010)

heres a small one I got


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## redfish203 (Aug 10, 2010)

saltwater4life said:


> heres a small one I got


Wow...thats very nice!!
Thanks for posting


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## Brother Bob (Jul 27, 2004)

*My Backyard...*

here is one picture from my backyard!

BB


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## Brother Bob (Jul 27, 2004)

*close up shot*

here is a bigger shot of them!

BB


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## Brother Bob (Jul 27, 2004)

*Notice..*

Do you all notice when you look at the red flower live is bright red, but when you take the picture the flower comes out yellowish, especially the closer you take the photo?

BB


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## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

This is a Texas Native Hibiscus

The "Yellow Mallow"

It has a maroon center ..... and grows crazy

this is a close up, so it's a standard size


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## bowhunter (Sep 8, 2005)

I have about 20 different hibiscus in ground and in pots lovethem


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## cva34 (Dec 22, 2008)

*tea*

Them are some Beauties....thx Has anyone had the Tea made from the blooms... It's pretty darn good...I usually find it in the Big Mexican stores .If they have Deli ready made and sometimes the they have bins/barrels full of dried blooms and sold by pound...


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## Johnny9 (Sep 7, 2005)

friend of mine sent me a picture of a hibiscus he purchased at HGC. It was supposed to be red but it bloomed red, yellow and pink blooms. All different blooms. Will post a pic later


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## homebrew (Jun 14, 2011)

homebrew said:


> whats the favorite singles (traditional) or doubles or triples.....i have a couple triples and they are crazy....ill snap a pic tonight otr when a good bloom comes out
> 
> i can clone or graft just about anything


i almost forgot about this , but while mowing yesterday i snapped these in my front yard


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Just like to add a couple of shots to this thread with so many great pictures. Not sure of our type, but believe its a native.


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## dreamcaster (May 24, 2004)

It's more than a flower, I've been buying a powdered hibiscus drink mix.

*Beverage*

See also: Hibiscus tea
The tea made from hibiscus flowers is known by many names in many countries around the world and is served both hot and cold. The beverage is well known for its color, tanginess and flavor.
It is known as _bissap_ in West Africa, _karkadÃ©_ in Egypt[_citation needed_] and Sudan, _flor de Jamaica_ in Mexico, "agua de Jamaica" in Honduras, _gudhal_ (à¤-à¥à¤¡à¤¼à¤¹à¤²) in India and _gongura_ in Brazil. Some refer to it as _roselle_, a common name for the hibiscus flower.
In Jamaica, Trinidad and many other islands in the Caribbean, the drink is known as sorrel (_Hibiscus sabdariffa_; not to be confused with _Rumex acetosa_, a species sharing the common name sorrel). The drink is popular at Christmas time. It is served cold, mixed with other herbs, roots, spices and cane sugar. Often it is served mixed with rum or wine.
Roselle is typically boiled in an enamel-coated large stock pot as most West Indians believe the metal from aluminum, steel or copper pots will destroy the natural minerals and vitamins.[_citation needed_]
In Cambodia, a cold beverage can be prepared by first steeping the petals in hot water until the colors are leached from the petals, then adding lime juice (which turns the beverage from dark brown/red to a bright red), sweeteners (sugar/honey) and finally cold water/ice cubes.
*Food*

Dried hibiscus is edible, and is often a delicacy in Mexico. It can also be candied and used as a garnish.[7]
The roselle (_Hibiscus sabdariffa_) is used as a vegetable.
Certain species of hibiscus are also beginning to be used more widely as a natural source of food coloring (E163),[_citation needed_] and replacement of Red #3 / E127.[_citation needed_]
_Hibiscus_ species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidopteran species, including _Chionodes hibiscella_, _Hypercompe hambletoni_, the nutmeg moth, and the turnip moth.
*Symbolism and culture*

 
Hibiscus.

Hibiscus species represent nations: _Hibiscus syriacus_ is the national flower of South Korea, and _Hibiscus rosa-sinensis_ is the national flower of Malaysia. The hibiscus is the national flower of the Republic of Haiti. The red hibiscus is the flower of the Hindu goddess Kali, and appears frequently in depictions of her in the art of Bengal, India, often with the goddess and the flower merging in form. The hibiscus is used as an offering to goddess Kali and Lord Ganesha in Hindu worship.
_Hibiscus rosa-sinensis_ is considered to have a number of medical uses in Chinese herbology.[8]
In the Philippines, the _gumamela_ (local name for hibiscus) is used by children as part of a bubble-making pastime. The flowers and leaves are crushed until the sticky juices come out. Hollow papaya stalks are then dipped into this and used as straws for blowing bubbles.
The red hibiscus flower is traditionally worn by Tahitian women. A single flower, tucked behind the ear, is used to indicate the wearer's availability for marriage.
Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie named her first novel _Purple Hibiscus_ after the delicate flower.
The bark of the hibiscus contains strong bast fibres that can be obtained by letting the stripped bark set in the sea to let the organic material rot away. In Polynesia, these fibers (_fau_, _pÅ«rau_) are used for making grass skirts. They have also been known to be used to make wigs.
*Health benefits*

The tea is popular as a natural diuretic; it contains vitamin C and minerals, and is used traditionally as a mild medicine.
Dieters or people with kidney problems often take it without adding sugar for its beneficial properties and as a natural diuretic.
A 2008 USDA study shows consuming hibiscus tea lowers blood pressure in a group of prehypertensive and mildly hypertensive adults. Three cups of tea daily resulted in an average drop of 8.1 mmHg in their systolic blood pressure, compared to a 1.3 mmHg drop in the volunteers who drank the placebo beverage. Study participants with higher blood pressure readings (129 or above) had a greater response to hibiscus tea: their systolic blood pressure went down by 13.2 mmHg. These data support the idea that drinking hibiscus tea in an amount readily incorporated into the diet may play a role in controlling blood pressure, although more research is required.[9]
_Hibiscus rosa-sinensis_ has a number of medical uses in Chinese herbology.[8] Lokapure s.g.et al. their research indicates some potential in cosmetic skin care; for example, an extract from the flowers of _Hibiscus rosa- sinensis_ has been shown to function as an anti-solar agent by absorbing ultraviolet radiation.[10]
In the Indian traditional system of medicine, Ayurveda, hibiscus, especially white hibiscus and red hibiscus (_Hibiscus rosa-sinensis_), is considered to have medicinal properties. The roots are used to make various concoctions believed to cure ailments such as cough, hair loss or hair greying. As a hair treatment, the flowers are boiled in oil along with other spices to make a medicated hair oil. The leaves and flowers are ground into a fine paste with a little water, and the resulting lathery paste is used as a shampoo plus conditioner.
Information on medicinal plants used in Indian Systems of medicine refer :http://envis.frlht.org/plant_details.php?disp_id=1134&parname=0


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## WilliamH (May 21, 2004)

Here are two from my backyard.


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## rwnitro (Feb 11, 2010)

mudskipper, the one you call mardi gras is the "Mrs. Jimmy Spangler" if my memory is correct


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## rwnitro (Feb 11, 2010)

CoastalOutfitters, why do you recommend superbloom over Miracle Grow?


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