Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis

Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis is commonly called Chinese hibiscus, China rose, Hawaiian hibiscus, rose mallow, or shoeblack plant. It is a type of flowering plant that belongs to the Hibiscus genus and the Hibisceae tribe of the Malvaceae family.

This plant is an artificial hybrid created by Polynesians in the west Pacific during the pre-Columbian era. It was made by mixing two species, Hibiscus cooperi and H. kaute, which originally came from Vanuatu and French Polynesia.

Today, it is widely grown as an ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical areas because of its beautiful flowers. The hibiscus is the national flower of Malaysia, where it has official status, and it is also loved as an unofficial national flower of Haiti.

Description

Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis is a bushy, evergreen shrub or small tree that grows between 2.5–5 metres (8–16 feet) tall and 1.5–3 metres (5–10 feet) wide. The plant has a branched taproot. Its stem is upright, with light-grey bark that is easy to peel and smooth.

The leaves are simple and have a stalk connecting them to the stem. They are oval-shaped with pointed tips and serrated edges. The leaves have a glossy surface and visible veins branching out from a central vein.

The flowers bloom in summer and autumn. They are solitary and symmetrical, usually red with five petals about 10 centimetres (4 inches) across. Some flowers have orange tips. There are many different colours of flowers, including white, pink, orange, peach, yellow, blue, and purple. Some plants have flowers with many layers of petals.

At the base of each flower bud is a green part called the calyx, with pointed ends known as sepals. The flowers have both male and female parts. The female part, called the pistil, collects pollen at the top and has a tube that leads to the ovary at the bottom. The male part, called the stamen, produces pollen.

Taxonomy

Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis was first described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus in Species Plantarum. The name means "rose of China", even though the plant is not actually a true rose and did not come from China. It belongs to the Hibiscus genus, which is part of the Malvaceae family.

Genetics

Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis has a special genetic feature called polyploidy, where the plant has more than two sets of chromosomes. This can make the flowers and plants look very different from their parents, which is why people enjoy crossing different varieties to create new and unique flowers. There are even competitions to show off these beautiful new creations.

Origin

The origin of the Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis has long been a mystery because it has never been found growing wild. A study in 2024 showed that it is a hybrid plant created by Polynesians through crossing two other hibiscus plants: Hibiscus cooperi and Hibiscus kaute. These parent plants originally came from Vanuatu and Tahiti. The two parent species lived far apart, more than 4,000 km (2,500 miles) from each other. H. kaute was important in Polynesian culture and medicine, which is why it was carried across the Pacific Ocean on traditional Polynesian seafaring canoes. There, it eventually mixed with H. cooperi to create this beautiful hybrid flower.

Ecology

Even though Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis has big, colorful flowers that usually attract birds that like nectar, hummingbirds in the Neotropics don’t visit them very often. Sometimes, certain birds like the sapphire-spangled emerald or the stripe-breasted starthroat might stop by. But in the subtropical and temperate parts of the Americas, hummingbirds are often drawn to these flowers.

The endangered Papilio homerus butterfly, which is the largest butterfly in the western hemisphere, enjoys feeding on the nectar from H. × rosa-sinensis.

Cultivation

Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis is commonly grown as an ornamental plant in tropical and subtropics areas. It cannot survive temperatures below 10 °C (50 °F), so in temperate places, it is usually grown inside glass structures. During summer, plants in containers can be placed outside and moved inside during winter.

There are many cultivars with flowers in colors like white, yellow, orange, scarlet, and pink, and they can have single or double layers of petals. The cultivar 'Cooperi' has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Pollen parent

Pod parent

One offspring

Another offspring

Example: two crosses of 'King Kalakaua' and 'Mystic Pink'. The photographs demonstrate that the flowers of the offspring plants have almost no color characteristics of the parent plants, and few of the physical characteristics.

Uses

The flowers of Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis can be eaten and are sometimes added to salads in the Pacific Islands. People also use the flowers as decorations, like putting them in hair. In some parts of India, the flowers are used to shine shoes, which is why they are sometimes called the "shoeblack plant." In Indonesia and Malaysia, the flowers are known as "kembang sepatu" or "bunga sepatu," meaning "shoe flower."

These flowers can also help show if a liquid is acidic or basic. When added to an acidic solution, the flower turns dark pink or magenta, and in a basic solution, it turns green. In many places, the flowers are dried and used to make tea. In Chinese herbology, the flowers have been used to make black shoe polish or hair dye, and they can also color drinks. Some people believe that extracts from these flowers might help protect skin from ultraviolet radiation and improve skincare.

In culture

Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis is the national flower of Malaysia, called bunga raya in Malay. This name means "great flower" or "celebratory flower." It became the national flower in 1960. The red petals stand for the courage and energy of the Malaysian people, and the five petals represent the five main ideas that hold the country together. You can see this flower on Malaysian money.

This flower is also an important symbol in Haiti, where it helps show the beauty of the country to visitors. In Bengal, a part of India, red hibiscus flowers are used in special ceremonies for worshipping.

Stamps

• In March 1987, DPR Korea made a postage stamp showing Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis.
• On 7 October 2012, Sri Lanka released a stamp set of four Archived, including one with a Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis flower.