Chinese hibiscus

Chinese hibiscus: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Upright, branching shrub; in a pot usually 0.5–1.5 m, also sold as a standard.

Leaves

Oval, toothed, 5–10 cm, glossy dark green.

Flowers

Funnel-shaped, 10–15 cm, with a long column of stamens and style; each flower lasts one or two days.

Colour

Red, pink, salmon, orange, yellow and white, often with a dark centre; single or double.

Flowering time

From April to October, in a sunny position.

Flowering: April–October · Plants: March–April · Pruning: March

Why grow it?

• A long flowering season, from April to October, with large, exotic flowers.
• Many colours and forms: single or double, in red, pink, orange, yellow and white.
• Glossy evergreen leaves that look good outside the flowering season too.
• A tropical showpiece on the patio in summer, a houseplant in winter.
• Takes pruning well, so it is easy to keep in shape.

Chinese hibiscus: where does it grow best?

• Full sun or the brightest spot possible: the more light, the more flowers.
• Warm indoors, 18–24 °C; never below 10 °C.
• From mid-May to mid-September on a sunny, sheltered patio, out of the wind.
• Rich, free-draining potting compost; the roots must never stand in water.
• A permanent spot: do not move or turn it when it has buds.

Light

Sunny

Potting soil

Multi-purpose compost or airy, humus-rich compost

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Watering

Moderately

Size

1.5 m tall, 1 m wide

Temperature

Minimum 10 °C

Goes well with

• Plumbago: Sky-blue flowers on the patio beside the vivid hibiscus.
• Agapanthus: Blue globes in a pot, also for a sunny patio.
• Lantana: Colourful clusters in the same sun and warmth.
• Bougainvillea: Another tropical patio plant for a warm, sunny spot.

Chinese hibiscus: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April.

1. Repot in March–April: a young plant every year, an older one every two or three years.
2. Choose a pot one size larger, with a drainage hole and a layer of clay pebbles.
3. Use good compost for houseplants or patio plants, perhaps with a little perlite.
4. Set the plant at the same depth as before and firm lightly.
5. Water until it runs out of the bottom of the pot and let it drain well.
6. Repot and prune at the same time, before the new buds appear.

Care

Watering

Plenty of water in summer: keep the compost moist, outdoors sometimes daily on hot days. Less in winter, but never let it dry out.

Feeding

From April to September, a liquid feed for flowering plants every one to two weeks.

Summer outdoors

After mid-May move it outside, first letting it adjust in partial shade for a week; bring it back in by mid-September.

Buds

Do not move or turn it when it has buds; drought and draughts also make buds drop.

Faded flowers

Spent flowers usually fall by themselves; pick them up or snip them off.

Tip: Feed it every week in summer with a feed for flowering plants: producing so many flowers one after another takes a lot of nourishment.

Chinese hibiscus: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March.

When: In March, before new growth starts and before it forms buds.

How:

• Cut the branches back by a third to a half, just above a leaf or bud.
• Remove weak, dead and inward-growing branches.
• Pinch out the tips of young plants a few times in spring so they branch well.
• An old, leggy plant can be cut back hard; it usually regrows well.

Caution: Do not prune in summer: it flowers on new shoots, and what you cut off then are the buds for the coming weeks.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Tip cuttings

In spring or early summer, take 10 cm cuttings from young shoots, strip the lower leaves and root them in moist compost under plastic at 22–25 °C. Roots form in 4–8 weeks.

Semi-ripe cuttings

In July–August, take slightly firmer cuttings in the same way, also kept warm. Special varieties are often grafted by growers.

Chinese hibiscus: how does it get through the winter?

• Not a garden plant: it cannot take frost and must spend winter indoors, above 10 °C.
• Give it the brightest spot in the house, ideally by a south-facing window; at 15–18 °C it rests a little and stays healthier.
• Water less and do not feed from October to March.
• Some leaf drop after bringing it in is normal; keep it away from radiators and draughts.

Diseases and pests

• Bud drop: Buds fall before they open, because of moving, drought, draughts or a sudden change in temperature. Give it a permanent spot and keep the compost moist.
• Aphids: On young shoots and buds. Rinse them off with water or wipe them away; outdoors, ladybirds help.
• Red spider mite: Fine yellow speckling and webbing, especially indoors in dry air. Mist the leaves and raise the humidity.
• Whitefly: Small white flies that rise when you touch the plant. Hang up yellow sticky traps and rinse the undersides of the leaves.
• Yellow leaves: Too much or too little water, too cold or too little feed. Check the compost first: is it wet or dry?

Through the year

• January: Bright and not too warm indoors. Water moderately.
• February: Brightest spot. Water moderately.
• March: Prune. Repot. Water more.
• April: First flowers. Start feeding. Take tip cuttings.
• May: After mid-May move outside, first in partial shade.
• June: Flowering on the patio. Feed every week and water generously.
• July: Flowering. Take semi-ripe cuttings.
• August: Flowering. Watch for aphids and red spider mite.
• September: Bring indoors by mid-September, to a bright spot.
• October: Last flowers. Less water, no more feeding.
• December: Resting. Away from the radiator.

Did you know?

• The hibiscus is the national flower of Malaysia, where it is called bunga raya.
• In India it is sometimes called the ‘shoe flower’: the flowers were once used to polish shoes.
• Each flower usually stays open for just one day; a healthy plant keeps producing new ones.