Hibiscus Question

[Anakat]

Hi,
I have a Hibiscus that my late Father grew from seed, our younger son would like one for his garden in Ireland. Can you take cuttings from Hibiscus? or will he have to be patient while I try to grow some from seeds?
Anne

[Karen]

Hi,
I have a Hibiscus that my late Father grew from seed, our younger son would like one for his garden in Ireland. Can you take cuttings from Hibiscus? or will he have to be patient while I try to grow some from seeds?
Anne

I have only heard of them being grown from seed, but I could be wrong.

[neetanddave]

They grow fairly quickly from seed here in the Southern US. Never heard of starting them from cuttings, as I think they bloom on new wood every year.

[Steve]

:D I went and googled this one. Hibiscus is actually grown here, but just one variety I know of is truly a predictable perennial in Northern Nevada. However, the Hibiscus Society search yields the following:

"In general, spring is a good time to take any cuttings. Take a 3 or 4 inch cutting from the growing tip of a branch. Remove the lower leaves from he bottom inch or 2 of stem. Dip the cutting in rooting hormone. It's available from the local garden center. If you get the powder, just dip it in for an inch or so. Place the cutting in moist potting soil in a pot with drainage, in a shady place. Keep the soil evenly moist. Water with a solution of rooting hormone once a week. In 2 or 3 weeks you should start to fell resistance if you pull very very gently on the cutting. This means that roots are forming and growing. Leave in the pot until roots come out the bottom if you've used a 2" or smaller pot. If the pot is larger, move the cuttings to small individual pots in about 8 weeks(2 months)."

By the way (It's me again)....they can be grown from seed, but it seems tougher. The results I saw advocate cuttings, far more than seeds/ However, here is what one person had to say:

"If you are not able to get a rooted cutting, try storing seeds in a regular refrigerator (not frost free) Place seeds in vermiculite in a plastic baggie and leave for several weeks not in freezer section of fridge. If they germinate, then plant in soiless mixture under grow lights.
Note: If new plants are achieved, they may or may not the same as the parent plant."

Maybe he should just buy one, lol.

[Anakat]

:D I went and googled this one. Hibiscus is actually grown here, but just one variety I know of is truly a predictable perennial in Northern Nevada. However, the Hibiscus Society search yields the following:

"In general, spring is a good time to take any cuttings. Take a 3 or 4 inch cutting from the growing tip of a branch. Remove the lower leaves from he bottom inch or 2 of stem. Dip the cutting in rooting hormone. It's available from the local garden center. If you get the powder, just dip it in for an inch or so. Place the cutting in moist potting soil in a pot with drainage, in a shady place. Keep the soil evenly moist. Water with a solution of rooting hormone once a week. In 2 or 3 weeks you should start to fell resistance if you pull very very gently on the cutting. This means that roots are forming and growing. Leave in the pot until roots come out the bottom if you've used a 2" or smaller pot. If the pot is larger, move the cuttings to small individual pots in about 8 weeks(2 months)."

By the way (It's me again)....they can be grown from seed, but it seems tougher. The results I saw advocate cuttings, far more than seeds/ However, here is what one person had to say:

"If you are not able to get a rooted cutting, try storing seeds in a regular refrigerator (not frost free) Place seeds in vermiculite in a plastic baggie and leave for several weeks not in freezer section of fridge. If they germinate, then plant in soiless mixture under grow lights.
Note: If new plants are achieved, they may or may not the same as the parent plant."

Maybe he should just buy one, lol.

Thanks for the info. I would happily buy one for him, but he really wants a one from the one his Granddad grew.
Anne

[Sar]

Anne, what variety is it, do you know?

My Mum has a Spanish Hibiscus that was grown from a cutting and she has since (after my cats knocked the top off!) grown subsequent cuttings!

We just placed the stem of the cutting in a glass of shallow water for a couple of weeks (changing the water to prevent smell) and it's roots developed nicely and grew into a beautiful plant! :)

If in doubt....try! ;) That's what I always say! :)

[Steve]

If in doubt....try! That's what I always say!
:agree: Man, is that ever the story of this whole forum. I wish I had a nickel for every experiment that did NOT work out, lol.

[Steve]

Anne, I'm sorry I had so little to give on what is a wonderful impulse on the part of your son. In that light, I talked to a local nurseryman here in town who tells me that Hibiscus can indeed grow from seed and that he has done it! He did mention, just as the googled info said that your could get a "less hybridized" version coming up. Possible, but not necessarily probable. It sounds, in other words, like a bit of a crapshoot in terms of getting the exact replica, yet, it also seems you might. Does that help?

[Anakat]

Anne, what variety is it, do you know?

My Mum has a Spanish Hibiscus that was grown from a cutting and she has since (after my cats knocked the top off!) grown subsequent cuttings!

We just placed the stem of the cutting in a glass of shallow water for a couple of weeks (changing the water to prevent smell) and it's roots developed nicely and grew into a beautiful plant! :)

If in doubt....try! ;) That's what I always say! :)

I have no idea what sort it is but it looks like this!
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c194/Anakat/hibiscus.jpg

Thanks for all the suggestions everybody, I will try both cuttings and seeds and see what happens.
Anne

[neetanddave]

That looks more like a Cottonwood Tree to me than a plain hibiscus. Does it die back in the winter???

[Steve]

Hey, that's a "Rose of Sharon" shrub, forgetting the Latin name. They thrive here in Reno. And they come in many colors, as well. That one should grow easily from seed, for sure. Nice woody shrub.

[neetanddave]

Hey, that's a "Rose of Sharon" shrub, forgetting the Latin name. They thrive here in Reno. And they come in many colors, as well. That one should grow easily from seed, for sure. Nice woody shrub.

We call that Cottonwood here in the South. Makes a nice hedge too.

[Steve]

The Rose of Sharon does make a great shrub. And you're right, Neet, they are used widely. "Cottonwoods" out here are very well known as a tree, and a huge one. It may be the largest growing tree in the desert, a softwood, in the Poplar Family, and only lives about 100 years or so. They are always found near water, thus there are bazillions of them around Reno, a basic wetlands area, originally.

[Anakat]

Hi,
I have a Hibiscus that my late Father grew from seed, our younger son would like one for his garden in Ireland. Can you take cuttings from Hibiscus? or will he have to be patient while I try to grow some from seeds?
Anne

I don't know if you remember this, but look :purpleblob:

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c194/Anakat/2007_0323misc0002.jpg

[neetanddave]

:woohoo: That is one for sure Anne! I know that seedling on sight!

Congrats! You sure do good getting seeds going!

[LokisMum]

:woohoo: That's great!

[Hilda>^..^<]

Very cool! I've never known of hibiscus being grown from seed before...only by cuttings. Nice! That's definitely a Rose of Sharon though...very pretty one too! I've always given my acid loving plants (like hibiscus) any leftover coffee and/or coffee grounds...learnt that from my madre years ago...and they thrive on it...lots of blooms and very healthy too!

Good luck with it...
Hilda>^..^<

[Anakat]

I think this is one of those US/UK things

http://www.rhs.org.uk/rhsplantselector/resultslist.aspx?SearchesID=955407

It is known as Hibiscus here :)