How to Grow the Hibiscus and Hibiscus Related Flowers

The Hibiscus (Mallow) family has a number of marvelous flowering plants. Here is some information on how to grow the Hibiscus and some different Hibiscus related flowers.

Instructions

1. When we talk about an Hibiscus, we usually think of the showy Hawaiian bush with big, brightly colored flowers, clipped and worn in the hair of exotic, tropical maidens. This plant is the Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. These plants can be grown outdoors in warm climates or indoors with good light as houseplants. Outdoors they grow as shrubs that usually grow from 3' to 10' tall in frost free gardens with rich garden soil and plenty of water. They are remarkably showy with enormous flowers in single or blended colors of many hues. If ever there was a garden plant that says "tropical", the Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is it!

2. The Hibiscus is in the mallow family and some mallows that look much like the tropical Hibiscus rosa-sinensis can take hot sun, less water, light frosts and poorer soils. Try the Lavatera and the Rose of Sharon for slightly more drought tolerant and more resilient plants that will grow into handsome, blooming shrubs with slightly smaller, but plentiful Hibiscus-like flowers in many colors.

3. 

   Better in greenhouses or grown as indoor flowers are two less frequently seen hibiscus plants. The Hibiscus schizopetalus is a red flowered plant with strange but exotic looking red flowers with split petals. And the Hibiscus calyphyllus, a shrub that likes a lot of water. The Hibiscus calyphyllus offers big yellow flowers with deep red blotches at the base of each petal.

4. 

   Some plants that are often referred to as Hibiscus are in the Australian family of Alyogyne. The Alyogyne includes the 'Blue Hibiscus' (Alogyne huegelii), a big, open shrub that can reach 10' tall covered in spring with 3" blue-purple hibiscus flowers. These plants are quite drought tolerant as well as resistant to light frosts. They make very fine focal points in the landscape.

5. 

   Less commonly seen is the Alyogyne hakeifolia that grows with linear leaves making the plants look like graceful, miniature 6' - 8' tall pine trees. In the spring they burst into flower with white, yellow or soft purple flowers that look like partially furled hibiscus blooms with red blotches on the base of the inside of the flowers. These plants are a little hard to find, but well worth the search if you live where frosts are mild and water is scarce. They will grow with average to little water.

6. 

   For some really eye-catching plants with amazing flowers, look in the Hibiscus family of plants. If you grow the Hibiscus or Hibiscus related flowers, expect lots of compliments.

Resources

• Landscape design and gardening information
• eHow Home and Garden Topic Guide