- Hibiscus: origin and properties
- Buy hibiscus: what to look out for
- Hibiscus species and varieties
- Planting hibiscus: instructions and choice of location
- Propagate hibiscus
- Caring for hibiscus: Tips for a beautiful bloom
- Hibiscus: diseases and pests
- Is hibiscus poisonous?
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Hibisks give every garden an exotic flair with their blossoms. Here you can find out everything about planting, cutting and caring for hibiscus.
With its flowers in all colors of the rainbow, the hibiscus (Hibiscus) is a real eye-catcher in every garden or room. Although it is a real exotic ornamental plant, the hibiscus has long since found its way into our garden landscape. In order to be able to grow the special shrub in your own home, however, expert knowledge is required. In our article we tell you everything about the origin, the right planting, care and overwintering of the hibiscus.
The hibiscus is a plant from the mallow family (Malvaceae) and is popular with us both as a houseplant and in the garden. In German, the hibiscus is also called marshmallow.
Depending on the species, the hibiscus can grow as an annual or perennial, herbaceous plant, subshrub or shrub. The diversity of the plant ranges from 20 centimeter potted plants to two meter high bushes in the garden. The flowers of the hibiscus are also varied: they can have the most diverse shapes and colors and will definitely add color and a touch of the exotic to your garden or room.
Hibiscus: origin and properties
The hibiscus originally comes from China. All types and varieties that are still known and common today come to us from the Middle Kingdom and its neighboring countries. Meanwhile, the hibiscus is known worldwide and very popular. In its homeland in Asia, however, the hibiscus is still very important to this day. In South Korea and Malaysia it is even revered as the national flower. The "everlasting flower", as the hibiscus is called there, symbolizes determination and perseverance. In China, the hibiscus represents we alth, splendor and glory. And many will have recognized the hibiscus blossom on the typical Hawaiian shirt. Hibiscus flowers are very impressive indeed. They can be up to 30 centimeters in diameter and shine in all the colors of the rainbow. Hibiscus flowers are often toofilled, half-filled or have several colors at the same time. Even if hibiscus is only used as an ornamental plant, it is said to have healing and he alth-promoting effects. That is why hibiscus is also found as an ingredient in countless cosmetics.
Buy hibiscus: what to look out for
When buying hibiscus, you should pay attention to the following three things:
- Size
- Type
- He alth
Especially if you want to keep your hibiscus as a houseplant, the size is crucial. After all, a window sill does not offer an infinite amount of space. You should also pay attention to the type and variety of hibiscus when buying. Because the different hibiscus species also have different requirements and have to be cultivated and cared for differently. In addition, each variety flowers differently. Finally, you should check the he alth of the plant and make sure that the hibiscus appears vital and he althy. The plant should also be disease and pest free.
Hibiscus species and varieties
There are over 200 hibiscus species worldwide, all of which come from Asia. The hibiscus varieties often differ in their flower color, their growth height and their winter hardiness. If you want to enjoy the opulent hibiscus blossoms in your garden, you have to use the garden hibiscus (Hibiscus syriacus), also known as the garden marshmallow. The rose mallow (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) is unbeatable as a pot and house plant. Here is a summary of the most important things about the two best-known hibiscus species:
Garden Hibiscus (Hibiscus syriacus)
Very robust hibiscus species; can overwinter outdoors; can be cut to the "little trunk"; rather woody shoot development; rather low variety.
Some particularly beautiful varieties of garden hibiscus:
- 'Blue Bird': Blue, large flowers; blooms early in the year; hardy
- 'Jeanne d'Arc': Grows up to two meters high; white, semi-double flowers; hardy
- 'White Chiffon': White, semi-double flowers; flowering from summer to autumn; frost resistant
Rose Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)
Heat-loving hibiscus species; not suitable for outdoor cultivation all year round; large variety of varieties and colors; suitableexcellent as a pot or house plant.
Some particularly beautiful varieties of rose hibiscus:
- 'Standing Ovation': Orange-red and yellow flowers; Flowering period from early spring to late summer
- 'Jolanda Gommer': flower color varies between violet, orange and red
- 'Fruitango': flowering period between April and November; pink filled with yellow border
You can read more types of hibiscus and a detailed list of the different types of hibiscus here.
Planting hibiscus: instructions and choice of location
The hibiscus is a sophisticated contemporary in the room and garden. Both the quality of the substrate and the amount of sunlight play an important role in hibiscus plants: hibiscus prefers nutrient-rich soil with a balanced ratio of sand and loam. An additional enrichment of the soil with compost promotes the formation of flowers in summer. Outdoors, the exotic loves a full sun location. Spring is the best time to plant hibiscus.
Instructions for hibiscus plants in a nutshell:
- Choose a sunny location
- Planting hole twice as big as the root ball
- Mix excavation with compost
- Pour generously
- Apply mulch layer
You can find detailed instructions for planting hibiscus here.
Planting hibiscus in a pot
Small varieties of rose hibiscus are suitable for growing in pots. In summer, the indoor hibiscus can also stand in a sunny spot in the garden or on the terrace. However, this frost-sensitive species has to spend the winter indoors or in the conservatory.
Our peat-free Plantura organic potting soil is ideal for growing in pots. It provides your hibiscus with ideal nutrients and is also harmless to people, animals and nature.
Everything you need to know about planting hibiscus in a pot:
- Sunny, warm location in summer
- Bright, cooler location in winter
- Choose a sufficiently large pot
- Nutrient-rich substrate with high humus content
- Create drainage layer
- Pour generously
You can find detailed instructions for planting hibiscus in pots and care tips for keeping them in tubs here.
Propagate hibiscus
If you don't want to buy a hibiscus plant, you canAlso multiply hibiscus yourself. This can be done with seeds, sinkers or cuttings. When propagating from seeds, the later plant may not have the same flower color as the mother hibiscus. Propagation by cuttings, on the other hand, requires a great deal of skill and is not always successful.
You can find detailed instructions on how to propagate hibiscus here.
Caring for hibiscus: Tips for a beautiful bloom
The hibiscus is a real diva in the garden: everyone is enchanted by its blossom, but it also requires a lot of care. Below we give you an overview of how you can keep your hibiscus he althy and happy with the right care.
Watering hibiscus
The water needs of the various hibiscus species vary greatly. The garden hibiscus, for example, likes it a little drier in summer. A constant water supply should nevertheless be given - simply reduce watering to once every three days. The rose hibiscus, especially when it is exposed to the dry heating air in winter as a potted plant, wants to be kept moist all the time. However, you should definitely avoid waterlogging.
Cutting Hibiscus
The best time to prune your hibiscus is right in the beginning of spring, when the growing season begins. The earlier you cut back the leafless hibiscus, the longer it has to recover from the cut. When cutting the hibiscus, you should not be too squeamish. Already when planting you can remove weak and injured branches. With young plants it is not a problem if only two to three shoots remain at the end. This is shortened again by at least half, so that branching at the base of the shoot is promoted. The hibiscus will recover in the growth phase and over time develop densely branched branches. This radical cut can be repeated next spring with a clear conscience. In addition to this, there are other cuts, such as the taper cut and the maintenance cut.
You can find more information about the different pruning methods of the hibiscus in our special article.
Fertilize hibiscus
Fertilizing regularly can help ensure a more lush, multi-flowered bud site. If you swear by mineral fertilization of your hibiscus, you should provide it with a complete fertilizer every two to three weeks from April to September. However, it is more sustainable and environmentally friendlyFertilize with an organic fertilizer. In early spring, for example, you can use mature compost in the garden and mix in a long-term fertilizer, such as our Plantura organic flower fertilizer. Regular fertilization from spring to autumn is also essential for potted plants. The Plantura organic flower fertilizer is also recommended here, as it provides the hibiscus with the right nutrients for a beautiful bloom over the long term.
You can read more about the correct fertilization of hibiscus here.
hibiscus winter
The right place to overwinter hibiscus depends entirely on the species. After the first year or two, the garden hibiscus should be so hardy that it can overwinter outside. Before that, it is advisable to keep it in a large container so that it can be placed indoors or in a greenhouse over the winter months. The rose hibiscus should best be kept at room temperature all year round. You can only put the rose hibiscus outdoors in the warm summer months of June to August, when the night temperatures are high enough.
You can find more information about overwintering hibiscus here.
Care of hibiscus in brief:
- Water the hibiscus as needed
- Avoid waterlogging
- One-time organic long-term fertilizer in spring
- Garden hibiscus can overwinter outside
- Rose hibiscus needs to hibernate in the warmth
- For direct planting in the bed: Thick layer of bark mulch for thermal insulation
You can find comprehensive tips and tricks for caring for hibiscus in our special article.
Hibiscus: diseases and pests
Unfortunately, unwelcome pests also enjoy the beautiful plants. We have summarized for you here which diseases and pests are troubling the hibiscus.
Aphids on Hibiscus
The biggest threat to hibiscus are aphids. The approximately two millimeter large, plant sap-sucking pests can cause great damage, especially to the still young shoots. Infestation by aphids can lead to the death or withering of leaves, shoots and flowers on the hibiscus. Aphids can be controlled by rinsing, collecting or using biological pesticides.
spider mites amHibiscus
Spider mites are tiny arachnids that can be identified by their distinctive orange coloring. They damage the hibiscus by attaching themselves to the underside of the leaves, leaving webs there and thus killing the leaves. You can fight the spider mites with rinsing, predatory mites or biological pesticides. Above all, however, you should avoid dry heating air to prevent an infestation with spider mites.
Whiteflies on Hibiscus
The whitefly also causes damage to the leaves. The affected areas can be recognized by a slightly yellowish discoloration. Action can be taken against the infestation with yellow boards to which the animals stick.
Is hibiscus poisonous?
First of all, the most important thing: hibiscus is not poisonous. Although there are some wild species that contain toxic substances, all domesticated hibiscus species that we use are non-toxic. From the flowers of a hibiscus species, the Hibiscus sabdariffa, even tea is made. This dark red hibiscus flower tea is particularly popular in Egypt and Mexico.
In this article, we debunk the myth of the poisonous hibiscus.