Syrian hibiscus

Family Malvaceae. Native to China and Western Asia.

This is a deciduous shrub up to 5–6 m tall. It features bright green ovate leaves up to 10 cm long. Flowers are solitary, smaller than those of "Chinese rose" and vary in color from white to raspberry, sometimes bicolored, single and double.

It is grown as bushes or small standard trees. Hibiscus likes plenty of light, warmth and moisture. In those conditions it blooms abundantly for a long time from the second half of summer until the first frosts. It can tolerate partial shade, but then it flowers less well. It is propagated by seeds and semi-hardwood cuttings. Double-flowered cultivars are propagated only vegetatively.

Seeds are stored in paper bags in a dry, cool place. With such storage the seeds retain viability for 3 years. Laboratory germination is 94 - 96%, field germination 86 - 89 %. The seeds do not have physiological dormancy and do not require stratification. Sowing depth is 2 - 3 cm. Seeds are sown directly in the ground or in a seedbed. Seedlings bloom as early as August of the first year and flower throughout the autumn. Plants respond well to fertilization.