A quick look at the hibiscus for National Day
AS National Day falls on Thursday, I’ve decided to revisit the hibiscus since the Bunga Raya is our national flower.
Besides demonstrating a sense of patriotism, planting hibiscus is actually a practical way to enjoy beautiful flowers and foliage in the garden. With advancements in recent years, we have come a long way and can now enjoy a wide range of hibiscus flowers.
Different varieties
Did you know that there are cold-hardy types of hibiscus? Hibiscus moscheutos is quite different from our local hibiscus – Hibiscus rosa-sinensis – because of its ability to withstand colder temperatures. Our tropical variety can only grow in frost free environments.
Besides differing weather requirements for survival, the size of the flowers and leaves are different too.
The hardy hibiscus with saucershaped large blooms of cooler regions can either be a shrub or small tree that can reach up to 15 feet.
Tropical hibiscus is an evergreen plant, while the hardy temperate hibiscus is deciduous – the leaves will drop in winter.
During a recent visit to a prominent floral nursery in the Matang area, I was struck by the sight of these hardy hibiscus plants from temperate regions that were raised from seeds. They were small dwarf plants but carried relatively large flowers.
Hibiscus moscheutos
This is also known as the rose mallow. It produces impressively large bell- or funnel-shaped flowers in white, red or pink. Because of the size of the flowers, with a diameter of six to 12 inches, it is also known as dinner plate flowers.
Interesting cultivars are Disco Belle Pink, which is around three feet tall, and Anne Arundel, which can grow up to five feet tall.
Growing tips
Water the hibiscus plants deeply and never allow them to dry out completely. To prevent any spread of viral and fungal diseases, do not spray the plants from the top. Instead, water them at ground level.
Fertilise using a slow release fertiliser once in three months. Alternatively feed with a water soluble fertiliser regularly as a foliar spray.
Remove the deadheads once the daily flowers fade. This will allow better flower bud formation.
Prune the plants once in six months to allow for a good size and height.
Growing cuttings
Using local hibiscus plants is as simple as cutting a stem from a mother plant and inserting it into a pot of soil to raise a new plant within a month.
For the local hibiscus, both pot and ground planting do not need a special medium as the plant favours our local acidic soil for growth.
Be sure to place the plants in a bright and sunny spot in the garden.
Feeding is also simple, as any general NPK fertiliser or organic chicken droppings will do.
Pruning may be needed to keep the plant at the right size or shape to suit our needs. The plant actually does not need to be too large.
Do remember, that hibiscus plants have terminal branches that bear flowers so any serious pruning will mean it will be some time before they flower again.
You are likely to have seen some of the heavily pruned hibiscus by the roadside that do not have any flowers at all. These serve only as ornamental foliage plants.
Colourful mix
There are two ways to create double-coloured hibiscus flowers.
First we can graft one variety of a flowering branch onto another of a different colour so that the future growths will continue with the new variety together with the original flowering plant.
Secondly, plant two separate plants together in one spot by twisting the young stems together and creating a new tree with two different coloured flowers.
There are such variations overseas but I have yet to see them here.
I imagine we can plant more than two varieties together in a pot, thereby choosing the right composition of yellow, pink and white coloured hibiscus flowers. However, note that pruning and twisting must be started early before the stems become woody and hardened.
The only problem with colourful hibiscus plants would be the fact that their flowers only last for a day and are thus not suitable for floral arrangements and other floral displays.
However, in future perhaps better varieties or hybrids will be developed in the laboratory to give us longer-lasting flowers.
Do send me an email if you have any questions, comments or suggestions.
Happy National Day and happy gardening.