How to Gather Hibiscus Seeds

Hibiscus come in many varieties with large, colorful flowers in all colors. Some flowers grow up to 12 inches in diameter. They thrive in hardiness zones 8 through 10 and can make a beautiful addition to your garden. The seeds are easy to collect and germinate. When planting your seeds, remember to nick the seed coat to allow moisture to enter to promote germination. Then plant your seeds; within a year or two, you may have your first hibiscus bloom.

Things You'll Need

• Paper bag
• Marker or pen
• Small container or envelope

Instructions

1. Collect your hibiscus seeds by picking the papery, brittle seed pods left after the flowers are gone. Watch the pods carefully to plan your gathering. Collected too early and they may not be viable. Too late, and the seeds will be gone.

2. Place them whole in a paper bag. Label the bag for future reference. Seal the bag and store it in a well-ventilated place for a couple of weeks to allow the seeds to finish ripening.

3. Remove the seed pods from the bag, once ripened. Place them in a large plastic bowl. Break the pods apart with your hands to release the seeds. Remove any chaff from the seeds.

4. Separate the seeds. Place them in a small, labeled envelope or container until you are ready to plant them.

Tips & Warnings

• If your hibiscus flowers were pollinated from unknown sources the resulting plant and flowers may not resemble the parent plant.

References

• Saving Seeds is easy to do!
• Saving and Starting Perennial Seeds