FNPS Plant Database

Hibiscus coccineus

scarlet hibiscus
  • 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

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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

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.



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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.).

Citations:

Huegel, Craig N. (2012). Native Wildflowers and Other Ground Covers for Florida Landscapes. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Minno, Marc, and Maria Minno. (1999). Florida Butterfly Gardening: A Complete Guide to Attracting, Identifying, and Enjoying Butterflies. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Nelson, Gil. (2003). Florida's Best Landscape Plants: 200 Readily Available Species for Homeowners and Professionals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Osorio, Rufino. (2001). A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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