Hibiscus flowers belong to the Mallow family, native to tropical regions and has over 200 species. It is the chosen national flower of South Korea and Malaysia while China and Thailand are its greatest producers. Chinese women use it to dye their eyebrows and hair. Hibiscus is also known in China as the “shoe flower” because it is used to polish their shoes.
Women in Tahiti and Hawaii wear Hibiscus behind their right ear as a sign that they’re single and ready for marriage while wearing it behind their left ear means they’re already married. In Polynesia, the fibers from the bark of the Hibiscus tree is used to produce grass skirts.
Abelmosk
An annual plant that grows up to 6 feet high, this flower has bright yellow-lime green petals with very dark centers, as well as beautiful green leaves that bring out its almost neon color. In India, the plant is used for more than just outdoor decorations; it is also eaten as a vegetable, added to coffee for additional flavor, and used as a homeopathic medicine to treat certain conditions.
Airbrush Effect
With flowers that can grow up to 8 inches wide, this is a striking, vibrant pink flower with light flushes of pale-white and a dark-red center. It has overlapping petals that make it look full and dense, and it can grow up to 4 feet in height. It does best in full sun or partial shade, and it blooms continuously from mid-Summer to Fall.
Ballet Slippers
This is a stunning flower in a beautiful shade of blush white trimmed in soft-pink and dotted with a beautiful dark-red center. They bloom from mid-Summer to Fall and grow up to 4 feet tall and 5 feet wide. They look amazing in vases or containers, and if you’re looking for the perfect border plant, this is it.
Berry Awesome
With a compact, bushy look, this flower has large, lavender-pink petals and a beautiful dark-red center. It is deer-resistant and stands out against the deep-green foliage it produces. When placed in a large container, the blossoms are true eye-catcher, and they make a beautiful centerpiece for a dining room table or mantle.
Blue Chiffon (Hibiscus syriacus)
A bushy, deciduous shrub with striking petals of brilliant blue and a star-like stain that is red-purple in color at the base of the outer petals, it is complemented by foliage that is grass-green and eye-catching. The winner of several international flower awards, this is a perfect flower to use as borders or hedges.
Brilliant (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)
With large, ruffled flowers that are deep-red in color and grow to 6 inches across, this is one flower you’ll never forget. The red stigmas and bright-yellow stamens in its center really jump out at you. The plant can get up to 10 feet high and thrives best in full sun or partial shade, and it is breath-taking in containers and vases.
Cherry Cheesecake
The Cherry Cheesecake is quite a noticeable flower, and it has creamy-white petals with streaks of magenta throughout each petal, magenta tips and a beautiful dark-red center. The petals are thick and have a ruffled look, and they hold up well even when it’s windy or rainy. They also grow to an impressive 5 feet in height, making them a flower everyone will notice.
Cherry Choco Latte
With flowers that get up to 9 inches wide and are white with streaks of deep-pink and a beautiful red center, this flower blooms from mid- to late-Summer and has maple-like leaves that complement the petals perfectly. Best when planted in full sun or partial shade, it also prefers moist soil that is well-drained, and then it will grow up to 4 feet in height.
China Rose
Although most of these have bright-red petals, the variety can also be found in colors such as pink, yellow, and orange. They get up to 25 feet tall and come in both single- and double-bloom varieties. One of its most unique characteristics is that it is used in tropical areas to shine shoes, but it is also a great plant for containers and vases.
Confederate Rose (Hibiscus mutabilis)
Blooming from late-Summer through the Fall, this plant has large, rich-green leaves and soft-pink petals that have several layers and therefore look quite stunning. They also change color as the day progresses, starting with white and turning to pink, then hot-pink, and finally a bright-red. They have won several international flower awards, and they can get up to 15 feet in height.
Cranberry Crush (Hibiscus var.)
With slightly cupped, bright-red petals and deep-green leaves with a purple overtone, this type of Hibiscus looks great as orders and grows only 4 feet tall. Perfect for containers and as a centerpiece, it produces petals in succession from top to bottom, making it very unique, and it thrives in moist, well-drained soil.
Diana (Hibiscus syriacus)
With pure-white blossoms that get up to 5 inches across, the Diana has soft-yellow centers and a very delicate look, which is one of the reasons it has won several international flower awards. It grows up to an impressive 10 feet in height, and it is tolerant of heat, humidity, and drought-like conditions. It makes beautiful hedges and screens, and it is deer-resistant as well.
Fireball (Hibiscus moscheutos)
This flower is quite large, getting up to 10 inches across, and it is velvet-like and bright-red in color, with a small, darker center. It is tolerant of heat and humidity but should be kept away from areas that experience a lot of wind. Best when planted in full sun or partial shade, it looks great alongside ponds or streams and when placed in containers.
Flower of an Hour (Hibiscus trionum)
This flower has slightly curved single petals in creamy-white or yellow and a beautiful dark-red center. It grows up to 4 feet in height and has a center that also includes beautiful yellow stamens. Because of the petals’ contrasting colors, they look beautiful in vases and containers, and they do a great job of dressing up any area they’re in.
Fringed Hibiscus (Hibiscus schizopetalus)
This type of Hibiscus is quite unique because its petals are lacy and dangle from curvy stems that have beautiful dark-green leaves. With a look similar to Japanese lanterns, the Fringed Hibiscus has blossoms that are bright red or streaked red and pink, and the long stamens that hang down below the plant. Once you see this hybiscus, you’ll understand why it has won several international flower awards.
Giant Rose Mallow
With petals that are mostly found in a deep-pink with dark-red centers, this flower grows exceptionally large and has rich copper-purple foliage. It thrives in full sun and in soils that are moist but well-drained, and even its leaves are a little larger than usual. Try them as a specimen plant or as a border to enjoy their full effect.
Hawaiian Hibiscus
This plant has petals that are large and usually blush-white and soft-pink in color, although other colors are possible. Native to Hawaii, it grows easily, fast, and for a very long time, making it a very popular type of Hibiscus. Most of its colors are bright, and one of its varieties – the Hibiscus Brackenridge – is the official state flower of Hawaii.
Holy Grail
The Holy Grail is an eye-catcher because it has flowers that are deep-red in color and grows up to 9 inches wide. Because its foliage is almost black in color, the contrast is exceptional, and if you’re looking for something to put in containers or a border, this is definitely one flower you’ll want to consider. It is deer-resistant and has few disease problems as well.
Lavender Chiffon (Hibiscus syriacus)
This plant has large, double-bloom petals in a beautiful lavender color and a soft-yellow center consisting of stamens. Its broad, bright-green leaves bring out the ambiance of the petals, and it has won several international movie awards. Growing up to an impressive 12 feet high, it is deer-resistant and looks great as hedges or borders.
Marina (Hibiscus syriacus)
These gorgeous violet-blue flowers look a bit like hollyhocks and have dark-purple centers and white stamens in the middle. They are an eye-catcher even though on the small side for hibiscus — 4 inches across. It can grow up to 9 feet high and has beautiful dark-green foliage that looks magnificent next to the beauty of the petals.
Mars Madness
A well-branched, deciduous shrub consisting of large, magenta-colored petals, they bloom from mid- to late-Summer and get up to 5 feet in height. The Mars Madness is deer-resistant and has few problems with pests or diseases, although you do have to watch for aphids and a few others. The leaves are olive-green and have copper highlights, so they look stunning next to the beautiful petals, and the plant can spread as large as 7 feet in width.
Mocha Moon
These are nothing short of spectacular, with large white flowers and a bright-red center, demanding attention wherever they are planted. They bloom from mid-Summer to the Fall, and they can get as high as 4 feet tall. Their foliage is a deep-brown and bronze mix, and they are dramatic Summer blooms that look great in containers and as borders.
Oiseau Bleu (Hibiscus syriacus)
The winner of several international flower awards, the Oiseau Bleu has lavender-blue petals with bright purple-red streaks throughout each petal and creamy-white stamens in the center. It has won several international flower awards, and it gets up to 8 feet in height. It is also resistant to deer and tolerant of heat and humidity.
Panama Red (Hibiscus acetosella)
With a star-like shape, the Panama Red has a beautiful red color and foliage that is burgundy-red and deeply cut. It looks great in mixed borders and placed in containers, and it usually grows up to 4 feet high and 2 feet wide. Applying a fertilizer each Spring and Summer helps the plant thrive, as does full sun and partial shade.
Perfect Storm
Also called Rose of Sharon, this flower has beautiful petals that get up to 8 inches wide, and each petal is bright-white with flushes of pink throughout each petal and a beautiful red center. They grow to 3 feet tall and are deer-resistant, and they prefer moist but well-drained soil. They also look fantastic in vases and containers.
Pink Chiffon (Hibiscus syriacus)
This Hibiscus grows especially large, up to 12 feet in height, and it consists of semi-double petals that are soft-pink in color. With dark-green foliage that accents the beautiful petals, the flower blooms from mid-Summer to the Fall and can even grow in salty soils and areas where it gets hot and humid.
Red Dragon (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)
With double-blooms of bright-red that grow profusely all Summer long, the Red Dragon also boasts foliage that is dark-green and oval-shaped, making it the perfect complement to its beautiful petals. It grows up to 8 feet high and does best in soil that is moist but well-drained, and it makes a perfect specimen plant.
Robert Fleming (Hibiscus moscheutos)
A vigorous and compact shrub, this plant has velvet-like, rich-red petals and darker centers, complemented by the bright-yellow stamens in its middle. It grows up to 3 feet tall and prefers full sun, and it is perfectly complemented by its foliage, which is dark-green in color with whitish tones underneath.
Rock Hibiscus
With single, sparse petals that come in white, deep-purple, and pink, it boasts a beautiful dark-pink center and yellow-orange stamens in the middle, and its triangle grey leaves look stunning next to those petals. It grows naturally on a lot of rocky formations and can thrive even in elevations up to 2000 feet.
Roselle
Also known as the Indian Roselle, this flower has petals that are white or yellow in color and have burgundy-red centers. They grow up to 8 feet high and have flowers that can be as large as 6 inches wide. Their beautiful leaves perfectly complement their petals, and they look great as shrubs or border plants.
Vintage Wine
A very thick, upright plant, its petals are scarlet-red in color and have a center that is an even darker red. Next to the heart-shaped, dark-green leaves, the petals are stunning, and the plant grows up to 4 feet tall and 5 feet in width. They look great as borders and are fairly resistant of pests and diseases, and they grow best in full sun or partial shade.
White Chiffon (Hibiscus syriacus)
A bushy shrub with pristine-white petals that get up to 4 inches across and creamy-yellow centers, this is a striking plant and also easy to grow. It does best in full sun or partial shade, and it can get up to 12 feet high and 6 feet in width, making it quite an eye-catcher. It makes great borders or hedges, and it is deer-resistant as well.
