Lovely Hibiscus Flower

The hibiscus flower, or rosemallow, as it is sometimes called, is a large genus with species that are found in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. There are perennials and annuals both in the species, as well as shrubs and small trees.

The hibiscus flower is very large, and shaped like a trumpet. They usually have five or more petals, and they range in color from yellow to purple, red, pink and white.

Hibiscus plants are susceptible to various diseases and pests. This includes scales, aphids and whitefly. Some moths also feed on the hibiscus flower.

In non-tropical areas, the most common hibiscus flower grown is the Garden Hibiscus, also known as the Rose of Sharon. In the warmer areas of the tropics and sub-tropics, the Chinese Hibiscus is the most popular.

There are about two hundred known species of the hibiscus flower, and each one has its own atypical flowers. But they all share some features in common. If you open a hibiscus flower, you will find the male stamen, which produces pollen, atop a filament shaped like a stem.

Then you will see the actual anthers, which are responsible for discharging pollen. Unlike some plants, the anthers of a hibiscus are attached to pale pink cylinders known as stamen tubes. If you look closely, you will see how each stamen is attached to the column.

Above the staminal column, you will see several red, curving things that look like slender fingers. They have knobby tips that poke through the stamens. If you were to cut away one side of the column, you would find an empty cylinder, and inside is the long, slender finger that you saw in the staminal column.

The slender style splits into five branches, and each one of those ends in a round stigma. You can occasionally even see grains of pollen sticking to the stigma and the branches. That pollen carries the sex germ of the male. So, if you open a flower and find this arrangement of parts, you will know you’re peering into a hibiscus flower.

These lovely plants originated in the Pacific islands and Asia. Some of the more colorful types have been used for food, and to make dyes. In Hawaii, interest in breeding the hibiscus flower began around the early 1900’s. Some came from China, and they were crossed with those native to Hawaii. Florida later became a haven for the hibiscus, and from there they became available commercially around the United States. Australia is also home to many hibiscus.

They began growing them after 30 plants were imported from India for landscaping uses. There are areas in the north of New Zealand where the growing of the hibiscus flower is also popular. This is a special flower that is prized in many cultures, and rightly so.