Garden Alphabet: Hibiscus (Malvaceae)

Garden Alphabet: Hibiscus (Malvaceae)

I have some lovely yellow hibiscus here in the garden, but this example from a neighbor’s garden caught my eye. The dark red in the center, fading to pink along the outside edges seemed just right somehow. 

Hibiscus are a popular plant in most gardens here in Southern California, although they are a tropical and can sometimes fall victim to our occasional freezing nights during the Winter. Mine was damaged extensively during our last cold snap about 10 years ago, but has recovered nicely since then. Other neighbors were not so lucky and lost all their hibiscus along with other tender tropicals like aralia, bougainvillea, and Ficus benjamina.

Hibiscus (Malvaceae)

Hibiscus (/hɨˈbɪskəs/^[2] or /haɪˈbɪskəs/^[3]) is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is quite large, containing several hundred species that are native to warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. Member species are often noted for their showy flowers and are commonly known simply as hibiscus, or less widely known as rose mallow. The genus includes bothannual and perennial herbaceous plants, as well as woody shrubs and small trees. The generic name is derived from the Greek word ἱβίσκος (hibískos), which was the name Pedanius Dioscorides (ca. 40–90) gave to Althaea officinalis.^[4]“ — Wikipedia.org

Previously in Garden Alphabet: