Hibiscus poeppigii – Fairy Hibiscus

Hibiscus poeppigii is a dwarf, shrubby perennial that bears small 1-inch long brilliant red flowers pollinated by bees and hummingbirds. It will produce flowers all year round so long as warm temperatures and adequate soil moisture prevails. Plants in full sun grow 1–4 feet (0.3–0.9 meters) tall and about half as wide and bear leaves 1–2 inches (2.5–5 centimeters) long. The stems will grow taller and the leaves larger if plants are situated in the shade or are overtopped by taller plants.

Hibiscus poeppigii is readily propagated from seed which germinate in about 10 days if sown during warm weather. It makes a delightful pot plant and I have grown it from seed to flowering in about 4 months in an 8-ounce (0.24 liter) plastic cup. In the ground, plants will rarely exceed 1.5 feet (0.46 meters) tall and be rather twiggy and sparsely leafy if grown in a dry, sunny spot. Of course, plants will grow much taller and be more lush if grown in continually moist soil or in part shade. Since it is the smallest of all Florida native hibiscus, and because it begins to flower when scarcely 6-inches (15.24 centimeters) tall, it is referred to as fairy hibiscus, a name which I much prefer over the prosaic and literal common name of Poeppig's hibiscus.

Hibiscus poeppigii is a state-listed endangered plant in Florida, where it occurs only in Miami-Dade County and the Monroe County keys. It also occurs as a native plant in the Caribbean (Cuba and Jamaica) as well as in Mexico (from Tamaulipas to Yucatán and Chiapas) and Guatemala. Taxonomically, it belongs to section Bombicella of the genus Hibiscus. In the New World, the section is centered in Mexico and Hibiscus poeppigii is the only representative of section Bombicella that is native east of the Mississippi River.

Reference:

Fryxell, Paul A. 1980. A Revision of the American Species of Hibiscus Section Bombicella (Malvaceae). Science and Education Administration, United States Department of Agriculture Technical Bulletin No. 1624. Internet

Image and text © 2012 Rufino Osorio

Hibiscus furcellatus – Sleepy Hibiscus

Hibiscus furcellatus is a large, coarse, shrubby perennial or shrub that bears ornamental, large, dark pink flowers pollinated by hummingbirds and bees. It is remarkable for its wide natural range and occurs from Florida, in the southeastern United States, all the way south to Paraguay and Argentina. It also occurs in the Greater Antilles and, by way of long distance dispersal from Central or South America, it is also native to Hawaii.

In Florida, the petals rarely spread very widely, thus accounting for the common name sleepy hibiscus since the flowers never fully "wake up." Occasionally, the petals will fully spread open but usually only for a short time and then only very early in the morning. Hibiscus furcellatus is easily cultivated from seeds and readily flowers during its first year. Its cultivation is undemanding and it grows equally well in moist or dry soils in light shade to full sun. Although wild plants are clearly perennial shrubs, plants cultivated in my garden have always behaved as annuals and must be grown from seed each year.

Image and text © 2012 Rufino Osorio

Hibiscus dasycalyx – Neches River Hibiscus

Hibiscus dasycalyx, the Neches River hibiscus, is an endangered hibiscus that naturally occurs in the floodplains of the Angelina, Neches, and Trinity rivers in eastern Texas. There are only about 500–600 plants in the wild and wild populations are threatened by habitat destruction and genetic contamination with the closely related Hibiscus laevis. It is sparingly cultivated and is easily grown from seeds or cuttings in continually moist soil in very light shade or full sun. Its cultivation in South Florida is complicated due to the plant being severely attacked by the Sri Lanka weevil (Myllocerus undatus). The adult weevils cause extensive feeding damage to the leaves and the subterranean larvae feed on the roots.

Image and text © 2012 Rufino Osorio

Hibiscus aculeatus – Pineland Hibiscus

Hibiscus aculeatus is a perennial hibiscus native to the southeastern United States coastal plain in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, as well as in Hardin County, Texas. In late winter or spring, it produces thick, somewhat woody, ascending to erect stems with alternate, deeply lobed, roughly hairy leaves. It begins to flower soon thereafter and can continue flowering so long as moist to wet conditions prevail. The flowers are comparatively large—note that they are larger than the leaves—and are very showy as a result of their pale yellow to creamy white color with a contrasting maroon-red eye. If pollinated by bees, butterflies, or hummingbirds, they are soon followed by rather large capsules that are covered with coarse, sharp hairs.

As is apparent from its common name, pineland hibiscus frequently occurs in wet pine flatwoods, but it is also found in bogs, savannas, and roadside ditches. Unlike many other southeastern United States hibiscus, it often occurs where there is no permanent standing water and perhaps this is the reason that it is the easiest of southeastern native hibiscus to grow under ordinary garden conditions in a perennial border. Hibiscus aculeatus is extremely drought tolerant and, under adverse conditions, will produce only one or two short stems; however, under ideal conditions, it will form a large, bushy mass with many stems up to 3 feet (0.9 meters) tall and about as wide or wider. Self-sown seedlings have been few and welcomed in my dryish garden but I would imagine that it would spread from seed far more aggressively if provided with continually moist soil in sunny, open areas free from taller competing plants. In autumn or early winter, the deceptively woody stems die back to the ground and, in formal garden situations, will need to be cut down, otherwise, it requires no other maintenance. It is not particularly bothered by pests except the occasional aphid or scale, but rarely to any serious extent. Due to its ease of cultivation and value in attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, it is a welcome addition to the garden and is recommended wherever one can provide a moist, sunny spot for this attractive and easily grown hibiscus.

In Florida, Hibiscus aculeatus occurs throughout the panhandle as well as much of northern Florida, from which it extends south to Lake County. In spite of its northern distribution, it is remarkably adaptable and my original plant, first placed in the ground in February 1996, is still with me, more than 16 years later, in my southern Florida garden. Another common name for Hibiscus aculeatus is comfort root, this being an allusion to the soothing, comforting qualities of its mucilage-containing roots.

Images and text © 2012 Rufino Osorio