PACIFIC HORTICULTURE, Number 2 2000, PAGES 29-33
THE HIBISCUS REVOLUTION (2d page)
By Charles Black
illustrations of a double red hibiscus dates to 1678. In 1731 Philip Miller, curator of London's Chelsea Physic Garden, brought a double red form and others to England. In 1810 John Reeves, an English tea trader and a Royal Horticultural Society member, commissioned a Chinese watercolor artist to paint various hibiscus cultivars he had seen in China. Hibiscus reached its height of popularity as a "stove plant' later in the nineteenth century, kept warm and flowering (or at least alive) in the kitchens of the time.
The peoples of Malaysia, Tahiti, Fiji, and Hawaii have all formed special relationships with hibiscus, incorporating them in their cultural and religious traditions. However, it was in Hawaii that the breeding of hibiscus really took off at the beginning of the twentieth century. The 'native" forms (really imports from China and introductions by the Polynesians) were crossed with truly, native Hawaiian hibiscus and with, notably, the split-petal species from East Africa, (H. schizopetalus). The resulting hybrids were spectacular compared with what had been seen before, and spurred an enthusiastic movement to create yet more hybrids. Gerrit Wilder organized the first hibiscus shows, beginning with one in 1914 that featured 400 selections. Thousands of new hibiscus were created in the following years, and in 1923, the Territory of Hawaii adopted the hibiscus as its official flower.
Eventually interest spread to the mainland United States, and in the early 1950s the American Hibiscus Society was formed, with the goals of promoting interest in hibiscus and establishing a centralized registration process for recording the names of new cultivars of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. This effort has continued to the present, with similar efforts made simultaneously in Australia. Recently, a worldwide registrar was appointed with plans to combine the American and Australian nomenclatures. Since only a few people grow many of the named hybrids, they eventually disappear if no one propagates them. It has been estimated that as many as two-thirds of the named cultivars are either extinct or difficult to locate. However, with over 6,000 names registered, that still leaves a lot of hibiscus to choose from.
Hibiscus in the United States
No part of the continental United States is truly tropical, yet many areas have hot summers. Gardeners and designers in those regions, who wished to use hibiscus in their landscapes, had to choose the hardiest and most sun and heat tolerant cultivars, but they also wanted plants with a free-flowering habit. A relatively small group of cultivars made up their palette, including familiar names such as 'Brilliant', 'President', 'Seminole Pink'; the list has changed little since hibiscus became popular landscape plants. Sturdy and floriferous, these are all vigorous growers quickly becoming large bushes. They remain the most familiar of all hibiscus cultivars, although there are many new and superior selections now available.
Hybridization of hibiscus has continued among small groups of enthusiasts, most particularly among those who compete in hibiscus shows in Florida, Texas, and Australia. While the "show" hibiscus and the "landscapes" hibiscus share the same origins, it is only in the show hibiscus that significant progress has been made in developing new and improved cultivars. This has been possible, in part, by the use of grafting as a means of propagation, thus freeing the hybridizers to concentrate on flowers and growth habits without concern for strong root systems. Breeders now are concentrating on bigger and more beautiful blossoms. And they have succeeded wonderfully!
Unfortunately, many of the modem cultivars lack strong roots or a sturdy, upright habit. By grafting onto cultivars with good root systems, the problem of poor roots can be overcome. However, not much can be done about shrubs with poor branching, sparse foliage, or a floppy habit like that of a prostrate ground cover. Some selections can be trained as standards or espaliers, but many are simply not garden worthy.
Searching for the Best
For the first time in the United States, we have begun evaluating more than 1,000 cultivars with the most popular flowers. From these, we choose only the ones with acceptable-or better-
