PlantFiles: Aibika, Sweet Hibiscus, Edible Hibiscus, Palmate-leaved Hibiscus, Sunset Muskmallow, Sunset Hibiscus
Abelmoschus manihot

I have the hardy version growing in my flower bed. I love this plant. It is a beautiful pink. Lagoon Amusement Park also grows a ton of them.

I lived as a small child in Hawaii. It reminds me of there.

I have not had any die because of Utah Winters. I am in zone 5. I do have a cage around it because it tends to get blwon over. My plant is over 5 feet tall.

Blooms only last one day, but it is never without blooms once it starts blooking. I got my first blossom last week, around July 15.

It did take about 3 years for it to bloom from the small nursery plant I bought.

I am going to try and germinate the seeds this year. My neighbor got a piece of root from me last year and hers is blooming this year too.

I have some 20 plants that survived last winter. I am in 7b, only lost 2 with medium mulch, already anywhere from 6 " to 4' and 2 in bloom. by end of June, i like this plant a lot, not only as an ornamental but as food. leaves are quite nice as a green, but the blossoms beat okra as a wrap, or in salads.

I am growing this for the first time in Morden, Surrey in UK, they germinated very quickly in two days. I grew them in cells, one to a cell. I have just planted them in the garden will let you know how this goes. The weather is awful here raining and cold.

To facilitate germination, soaking overnight before sowing has been recommended, and possible successive nicking.

In Arlington Texas it is a tender perennial, it dies to the ground and comes back the following year. We love this plant.

This plant is outstanding here in our gardens. It would be interesting if the pods are edible as with other okra types.

I grew this as an annual in zone 5. I started them late winter and transplanted them after frost.

Germination - seemed pretty slow, several weeks. Don't lose hope!

Transplanting - seedlings may need to be staked for the first month or two, they can topple very easily.

Height - Put them in the BACK of the garden. They can easily reach 6 feet tall. My mistake - I put these tiny seedlings "front and center" and they dwarfed many things behind them.

Collecting seeds - After the flower dies, you will get a prickly pod that eventually turns brown. When the seeds are ready, you can easily split the pod seams with your nail and scoop out the seeds.

Tropical Hibiscus Abelmoschus Manihot can be grown as an annual in zones colder than 8b. Most likely, it is a perennial Hibiscus in warmer zones. The flowers are a lovely pale yellow with a dark purple/maroon center. Whichever zone you live in, it is a lovely plant to add to your garden.

I grow this plant in Hawaii, and use it's leaves in salad, and as wrappers for food, "tortilla style". I find it easy to propagate by rooting "woody stems" (I'm no botanist, but I think that's correct) in water, or putting them directly into the ground (and watering them a lot.) I've been told they grow "bushy" for some people, but mine grow tall and stalky.

TP used as annual
This species is another tropical perennial that is grown as an annual. It grows 5-6' tall and bears 6" flowers in late summer. It has palmately divided leaves.
Useful as an accent plant or a plant for the back of the border.
Plants should be spaced 2' to 3' apart in full sun or partial shade.
The flowers turn to mush at the first frost.

Native to tropical Asia