Hibiscus: all the tips for the perfect bloom

With their flowers, hibiscuses give every garden an exotic flair. Here you can find out everything about planting, cutting and caring for the hibiscus.

With its flowers in all colors of the rainbow, the hibiscus (Hibiscus) a real eye-catcher in every garden or room. Although it is a real exotic among the ornamental plants, the hibiscus has long since found its way into our garden landscape. In order to be able to grow the special shrub on your own, however, expert knowledge is required. In our article we will tell you everything about the origin, the correct planting, care and wintering of the hibiscus.

The hibiscus is a plant belonging to the mallow family (Malvaceae) and popular with us both as a houseplant and in the garden. In German, the hibiscus is also called marshmallow.
Depending on the species, the hibiscus can grow as an annual or perennial, herbaceous plant, subshrub or shrub. The variety of the plant ranges from 20 centimeter large potted plants to two meter high bushes in the garden. The flowers of the hibiscus are also varied: These can be of various shapes and sizes Show colors and definitely bring color and a touch of the exotic to your garden or yours Room.

Hibiscus: origin and characteristics

The hibiscus originally comes from China. All species and varieties that are still known and common today also come to us from the Middle Kingdom and its neighboring countries. The hibiscus is now known and very popular all over the world. In its homeland in Asia, however, the hibiscus is still very important to this day. In South Korea and Malaysia it is even revered as the national flower. The "immortal flower", as the hibiscus is called there, symbolizes determination and perseverance. In China, the hibiscus stands for wealth, splendor and fame. And some will have recognized the hibiscus blossom on the typical Hawaiian shirt. Hibiscus flowers are very impressive indeed. They can have a diameter of up to 30 centimeters and shine in all colors of the rainbow. Often, hibiscus flowers are also filled, half-filled or have several colors. Even if we only use hibiscus as an ornamental plant, it is said to have healing and health-promoting effects. That is why hibiscus can also be found as an ingredient in countless cosmetics.

Buying hibiscus: what to watch out for

When buying hibiscus, there are three things to look out for:

• size
• variety
• Bless you

Especially if you want to keep your hibiscus as a houseplant, size is crucial. After all, a window sill does not offer an infinite amount of space. You should also pay attention to the type and variety of hibiscus when buying. Because the different types of hibiscus also have different requirements and have to be cultivated and cared for differently. In addition, each variety blooms differently. Finally, you should check the health of the plant and make sure that the hibiscus looks vital and healthy. The plant should also be free from disease or pests.

Hibiscus species and varieties

There are over 200 species of hibiscus worldwide, all of which come from Asia. The hibiscus varieties often differ in their flower color, their height and their winter hardiness. If you want to enjoy the opulent hibiscus flowers in your garden, you have to go for the garden hibiscus (Hibiscus syriacus), also called garden marshmallow. The rose marshmallow (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) is unbeatable as a pot and houseplant. Here is a brief summary of the most important information about the two best-known hibiscus species:

Garden hibiscus (Hibiscus syriacus)

Very robust hibiscus species; can overwinter outdoors; can be cut into a "stem"; rather woody shoot formation; rather low variety.

Some particularly beautiful varieties of garden hibiscus:

• 'Blue Bird': Blue, large flowers; blooms early in the year; hardy
• 'Jeanne d’Arc': Grows up to two meters high; white, semi-double flowers; hardy
• 'White Chiffon': White, semi-double flowers; Flowering from summer to autumn; insensitive to frost

Rose hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)

Warmth-loving hibiscus species; not suitable for outdoor cultivation all year round; large variety and color variety; is ideal as a pot or Houseplant.

Some particularly beautiful varieties of rose hibiscus:

• 'Standing Ovation': Blooming orange-red and yellow; Flowering time from the beginning of spring to the end of summer
• 'Jolanda Gommer': Flower color varies between purple, orange and red
• 'Fruitango': Flowering period between April and November; pink filled with a yellow border

More hibiscus species and a detailed list of the different ones Hibiscus varieties can be read here.

Planting hibiscus: instructions and site selection

The hibiscus is a demanding contemporary in the room and garden. Both the quality of the substrate and the solar radiation play a role in hibiscus plants important role: hibiscus prefers a nutrient-rich soil with a balanced sand-loam ratio. An additional enrichment of the soil with compost promotes flower formation in summer. The exotic loves a location in full sun outdoors. The best time to plant hibiscus is in spring.

Instructions for planting hibiscus in a nutshell:

• Choose a sunny location
• Planting hole twice as large as the root ball
• Mix the excavated material with compost
• Pour generously
• Spread the mulch layer

A detailed guide to the Plants of hibiscus You will find here.

Plant the hibiscus in the pot

Small varieties of rose hibiscus are suitable for growing in pots. In summer, the indoor hibiscus can also be placed in a sunny spot in the garden or on the terrace. However, this frost-sensitive species has to spend the winter in the house or winter garden.

Our peat-free is ideal for growing in pots Plantura organic potting soil. It provides your hibiscus with ideal nutrients and is also harmless to people, animals and nature.

Everything you need to know about planting hibiscus in a pot:

• Sunny, warm location in summer
• Lighter, cooler location in winter
• Select a sufficiently large saucepan
• Nutrient-rich substrate with a high proportion of humus
• Create a drainage layer
• Pour generously

A detailed guide on how to plant Hibiscus in the pot as well as care tips for keeping the bucket can be found here.

Propagate hibiscus

If you don't want to buy a hibiscus plant, you can propagate your hibiscus yourself. This can be done via seeds, subsidence or cuttings. When propagating via seeds, the later plant may not have the same flower color as the mother hibiscus. Propagating cuttings, on the other hand, requires a great deal of skill and is not always successful.

You can find detailed instructions on how to propagate hibiscus here.

Caring for the hibiscus: tips for a beautiful bloom

The hibiscus is a real diva in the garden: its flowers enchant everyone, but they also need extremely care. Below we give you an overview of how you can keep your hibiscus healthy and happy with the right care.

Pour the hibiscus

The different hibiscus species have very different water requirements. The garden hibiscus, for example, likes it a little drier in summer. A constant water supply should still be available - simply reduce the watering to one water every three days. The rose hibiscus, especially if it is exposed to the dry, heated air in winter as a potted plant, wants to be kept moist at all times. However, you should definitely avoid waterlogging.

Cut the hibiscus

The best time to prune your hibiscus is in early spring, when the growth phase begins. The earlier you cut back the hibiscus, which has not yet been leafed, the longer it has time to recover from the cut. You shouldn't be too squeamish when cutting hibiscus. Weak and injured branches can be removed while planting. With young plants it is not a problem if only two to three shoots remain at the end. This is shortened again by at least half, so that the branching at the shoot base is promoted. The hibiscus will recover as it grows and over time will develop densely branched branches. This radical cut can be repeated next spring with a clear conscience. In addition to this, there are other cuts, such as the taper cut and the maintenance cut.

More information on the various Cutting methods of the hibiscus can be found in our special article.

Fertilize the hibiscus

Regular fertilization can help ensure a fuller inflorescence with multiple flowers. If you swear by mineral fertilization of your hibiscus, you should provide it with a complete fertilizer every two to three weeks from April to September. However, fertilizing with an organic fertilizer is more sustainable and environmentally friendly. In early spring, for example, you can use ripe compost in the garden and a slow release fertilizer like ours underneath Plantura organic flower fertilizer mix in. Regular fertilization from spring to autumn is also essential for potted plants. Here, too, is recommended Plantura organic flower fertilizer, which provides the hibiscus with the right nutrients for a beautiful bloom in the long term.

Even more interesting facts about the right one Fertilizing the hibiscus can be read here.

Hibiscus overwinter

The right place to overwinter hibiscus depends entirely on the species. The garden hibiscus should be so hardy after the first one to two years that it can overwinter outside. Before doing this, it is advisable to keep it in a large bucket so that it can be put in the apartment or in a greenhouse over the winter months. The rose hibiscus is best kept at room temperature all year round. The rose hibiscus can only be put outside in the warm summer months of June to August, when the night temperatures are high enough.

More information about the Hibiscus overwinter You will find here.

Care of hibiscus in brief:

• Water the hibiscus as needed
• Avoid waterlogging
• One time organic long-term fertilizer in the spring
• Garden hibiscus can overwinter outside
• Rose hibiscus has to overwinter in the warm
• When planting directly in the bed: thick layer of bark mulch for thermal insulation

Extensive tips and tricks for Care of hibiscus can be found in our special article.

Hibiscus: diseases and pests

Unfortunately, unpleasant pests also enjoy the beautiful plants. We have summarized for you which diseases and pests cause problems for the hibiscus.

Aphids on the hibiscus

The biggest threat to the hibiscus are Aphids. The approximately two millimeters large, sap-sucking pests can cause great damage, especially to the still young shoots. The infestation by aphids can lead to the death or withering of leaves, shoots and flowers on the hibiscus. The control of aphids can be done by rinsing, collecting or using biological pesticides.

Spinning machineilben on the hibiscus

Spider mites are tiny arachnids that can be identified by their characteristic orange color. They damage the hibiscus by attaching themselves to the underside of the leaves, leaving webs there and thus killing the leaves. You can counter the spider mites with rinsing, predatory mites or biological pesticides. Above all, however, you should avoid dry heating air to prevent spider mite infestation.

Whiteflies on the hibiscus

the white fly also causes damage to the leaves. The affected areas can be recognized by a slightly yellowish discoloration. With Yellow panelsto which the animals stick, action can be taken against the infestation.

Is hibiscus poisonous?

First of all the most important things first: hibiscus is not poisonous. There are some wild species that contain poisonous substances, but all domesticated hibiscus species that we use are non-toxic. From the flowers of a hibiscus species, the Hibiscus sabdariffa, even tea is made. This dark red hibiscus flower tea is particularly popular in Egypt and Mexico.

In this article we go into the myth of the poisonous hibiscus to the bottom.