Breeding Better Hibiscus

By Justin Hancock, Costa Farms Horticulturist

Tropical Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) has long been a favorite plant for gardens and containers—even in Northern regions where it’s not hardy. Thanks to plant breeders, we’re getting better plants every year. Graff Breeding of Denmark, for example, is breeding a family of Tropical Hibiscus called HibisQs®. Breeders like this are devoted to bringing you a better Hibiscus – one that will excel on patios, decks, and gardens all summer long.

What makes a new Hibiscus better? Here are some of the new characteristics and traits that the team is working on breeding into our premium HibisQs® Tropical Hibiscus collection.

Longer-Lasting Blossoms

Older Tropical Hibiscus flowers, while lovely, last only a day. They open in the morning, close up at night, and that individual flower is done forever. But new breeding in HibisQs® allows blossoms to hold on longer—up to four days, depending on the variety. That means that you can enjoy more color from your plant because each day you get new blooms, as well as the flowers from the previous day or two.

More Blooms

Some older varieties of Tropical Hibiscus show off just a couple of big, gorgeous flowers per day. But newer varieties Tropical Hibiscus are being bred to produce far more flowers per shrub than older varieties. That means you’ll see even more glorious color from every plant. Some new varieties produce more than three times the number of flowers over the course of a season than old-fashioned varieties!

Bigger Flowers

Flower size makes a big impression, and most people agree bigger flowers are better. Tropical Hibiscus show off some of the largest flowers in our gardens with blossoms 4 to 5 inches across. New varieties boast even larger blooms – some measuring up to 7 inches in diameter! With flowers that large, you can see blooms from far away, so these plants make excellent front yard and porch container plantings.

A Fuller, Lusher Plant

Foliage is also important in how our plants look. New HibisQs® Hibiscus breeding is resulting in fuller, bushier plants with more branches. More branching results in shorter internodes, the area on the plant where leaves are produced. The denser the leaves, the lusher the look. Bonus: More branching gives more new growth points, which is where buds are formed. And that means more flowers.

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