The sun-loving Laluna

This special breed of orange hibiscus is not only durable but also double flowering and long-lasting, writes Stephanie Choo

ISTUMBLED upon some orange hibiscuses on my visit to a nursery not long ago. Suspended on small pots, the huge and fluffy colour-rich blossoms were tumbling out over the sides. They looked absolutely gorgeous! Several months later at another nursery, I saw the same hibiscus planted on a big pot on the ground. The nursery’s owner said that the one-metre high plant, which had been transplanted about a year ago, was growing rather quickly.

This very floriferous hibiscus turned out to be Laluna , whose peculiar name is derived from Luna, the Roman goddess of the moon due to its resemblance to the glowing moon on warm summer nights.

A tropical hibiscus and a patented hybrid variety, the Laluna was the result of a breeding programme to produce a new hibiscus plant that’s durable, doubleflowering and has longer lasting flowers.

The plant was cross-pollinated in Sabro, Denmark in 2006 and discovered in the following year, 2007. The female or seed parent was H. rosa-sinensis Calypso Yellow and the male or pollen parent was H. rosa-sinensis, identified as code number GB 2006-2007.

BEAUTY AND LONGER LASTING BLOOMS

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis “Laluna” offers not only extended bloom length but also an interesting growth habit and attractive foliage colour.

This cultivar, along with many others that were selected for good flower longevity, are categorised under the HibisQs LongiFlora series. Some of the flowers from this series are very strong and can last up to six days or more.

The Laluna is the first double-flower form in this series and its large flowers can last for about four days, a much longer bloom length than the conventional varieties which last only a day.

The plant also produces more buds and blooms per plant at one time. The buds are large and the plant blooms continuously.

The Laluna can reach up to 1.5 metres upon maturity. The compact plant is an upright, mounding and bushy evergreen shrub. The lush dark green leaves set a beautiful backdrop for the showy flowers.

HOW TO GROW

Available mostly in 15cm pots, you may utilise the Laluna in hanging pots before the plant grows bigger. When it becomes overgrown, transplant it into a wider pot — but not too deep — to provide just enough room for the roots to spread and flourish.

Generally, hibiscus only blooms well after its roots have reached the bottom of the pot. If the container is deep, the plant will spend more energy producing roots and not so much top growth and flowers.

Alternatively, you may also use the Laluna as a ground plant to create a garden of colours by planting it in mass. To fashion a hedge, space the plants 35 to 45cm apart from each other, keeping them at 70cm for a low hedge or at 150cm for a tall one.

As a standalone specimen, the Laluna makes a beautiful mounding shrub. It’s useful for adding bursts of bright orange colour to the garden as well as the home. You can use it to decorate a bright room with windows that receive plenty of direct sunlight.

In the garden, settle the Laluna at full sun spots and in fertile, well-draining soil. Water the plant daily to keep the soil moist and feed it with any balanced fertiliser. Prune regularly to encourage a fuller, wellbranched plant.

After a year, the Laluna Hibiscus at Delima Tani nursery can reach one metre high.

The beautiful blooms are strong and long-lasting.