Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
Photo by: Ginny Stibolt, Ixia Chapter FNPS
Photo by: Ginny Stibolt, Ixia Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

scarlet hibiscus

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Hibiscus coccineus

Family:

Malvaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

flower

Size:

5-8 ft tall by 2-4 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white,red

Fruit Color:

brown

Phenology:

Winter dormant. Blooms spring-summer.

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Specimen plant in moist areas. There is also a white-flowered variant.

Considerations:

Availability:

Native Nurseries, FNPS Plant Sales

Propagation:

Seeds or division of roots. Seeds need some form of scarification (such as scraping with a file)

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

Coming Soon!

Aquatic ---to--- Somewhat moist, no flooding

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Loam, Organic

Soil pH:

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B,10A,10B,11

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Caterpillars, Hummingbirds



  • Larval host of  Gray Hairstreak, Painted Lady Butterfly, Common Checkered Skipper and Tropical Checkered Skipper butterflies and  four moths : Pearly Wood Nymph, Yellow Scallop Moth, Io Moth,  and Delightful Bird-Dropping Moths.


  • Attracts butterflies and  native bees (including the Rose-mallow Bee which is a Hibiscus specialist), beetles, etc. 


Attracts hummingbirds.

Native Habitats:

Wet sites. Strands, sloughs, swamps, brackish and freshwater marshes; commonly in water.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

Its deeply divided leaves look somewhat like marijuana leaves(Cannabis spp.).