Hibiscus mutabilis Syn. H.sinensis, H. immutabilis

Common names:

English: Changing rose, Women’s character, Ladies' character, Men’s character, Wonderful rose, Women’s whim, Confederate rose, Rose of China, Ketmie changing Creole: Hibiscus

English: Confederate rose, Cotton rose, Changeable rose, Dixie rosemallow

Spanish: Arctique Others: Mu Fu Rong, Fuyô

 

FAMILY

MALVACEAE

ETYMOLOGY

Hibiscus means 'ibis-like flower', a bird with red plumage. Mutabilis translates as « changing », in relation to the color of the flower.

ORIGIN​

South of China.

HABITAT​

Altitude 0-400 m.

DESCRIPTION

Large, very ramified and persistent shrub. Size: 2-5 m. Branches covered with fine hairs arranged in a star.

Broad, webbed and fuzzy leaves, green on top and hairy below.

White flowers in the morning then more and more pink, wither into purple at the end of the day. Size: 8-12 cm. Flowering all year round intermittently, from March to October in a temperate environment.

Fruits: Capsules. Size: 2-3 cm. Small, oblong and dark seeds.

MULTIPLICATION

- Easy sowing, 13-18°C min, in March for temperate or lamp climates.

Multiplication substrate.

Soak the seeds 24 hours in hot water. Sow at 1-2mm, tamp gently and keep moist. Place in a sunny spot. Transplant with Sade 4 leaves.

Emergence: 1-3 weeks.

- Division of tuft in March for temperate climates

- Cutting of head in June, cuttings of sections from July to September, all year round in tropical climate. 15cm, substrate 3/4 sand 1/4 peat.

 

CULTURE

- Facile, croissance rapide

- En climat tempéré, cultiver le en pot (exemple de substrat : 2/3 terre, 1/3 compost + sable).Rentrer l’hiver dans une pièce lumineuse, minimum 10°C, ou pailler.

- La plante peut repartir du rhizome au printemps si il a survécu à l’hiver.

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MAINTENANCE

- Maintenance size, balance the stems that do not respect symmetry, remove wilted flowers to prolong flowering and maintain beautiful foliage.

- Regular intake of compost or organic fertilizer unless the plant is in wintering.

- Enemies: Aphids, mealybugs, whiteflies and powdery mildew, especially under greenhouse conditions.

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USES

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MEDICINAL USE

Bechique, pectoral and emollient.

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ORNAMENTAL USE

Isolated subject, massive.

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FOOD USE

The leaves are edible.

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OTHER USES

In the past, bark fibers were used to make paper or woven into fishing nets or clothing.​

ANECDOTES

In Japan, in the language of flowers, it means 'delicate beauty'. An American legend tells that a soldier was shot and fell into a white Hibiscus. The flowers then turned blood-colored.

SOURCES​

- Le grand Larousse des 15000 plantes & fleurs de jardin - Ed Larousse - P516

- Flore Illustrée des phanérogames de Guadeloupe & Martinique - Jacques Fournet - Ed Gondwana, CIRAD - T1 P378

- https://www.lepeupledacote.com/plante/hibiscus-mutabilis-rose-confederee/