Hidden Valley Hibiscus Forum

Hi guys,

    I hope it's ok starting a new topic...   :-\

    I ordered a Voodoo Magic from HVH last year, and I'm so impressed!  It, along with my other hibiscus (garden-variety plants), must stay outside on the balcony year-round, as my cats love to eat houseplants.  Although we don't often have temperatures below freezing here in the Bay Area of Cali, this winter seems to have been especially cold (32-38F at night).  V.M. has weathered the cold much better than either of my other two hibiscus plants, only losing a few leaves and dropping buds-- the other two... I'm not even sure if they will make it.  It also dealt with the 'droughts' this past summer better than the others (a.k.a. me forgetting to water).

      I love this plant!  I have a few questions, though.  First, what are the ideal conditions for it to produce the dark brown flowers shown on the website?  I got a couple of those last year, but the flowers have been more orangey than brown (still very pretty, though!).  As a new hibiscus enthusiast, I'm also interested in potentially cloning/hybridizing sometime in the future.  How does Voodoo Magic respond to rooting hormone?  Does it seed well or produce hot pollen?

     Finally, thanks for all the great photos on your website!!  I visit almost every day looking for new varieties and pictures.  I will be potentially purchasing my first house this year, and have already decided I want a hibiscus in every room.  So, if all goes well, I'll be ordering tons more from you guys.   ;D  (On that note, will you be offering Heavy Metal again at any time in the future?)

All the best,
Jordan L.

Hi Jordan,

I'm glad you're doing well with Voodoo Magic! It has a lot of good qualities, such as floriferousness and branching well, that it inherited from parent Rennaissance Blue.

It hasn't set seed for me but every now and then I can get enough pollen to successfully cross it with a good seed setter. I have high hopes for getting some good results from the relatively few seeds that have come from it so far.

The best color comes in the heat of summer. Cooler winter conditions bring out the orange color but the brown with markings will return with summer conditions. It is an excellent bloomer, and one of my top favorite brown flowers. It responds to rooting hormone just fine, and surprisingly is one of the easier exotic hibiscus to clone.

You asked about Heavy Metal - yes, more are already in the pipleline and will be showing up in the store eventually. Probably the easiest way to watch for it is to use the "Waiting List" form on the website. Cindy will send you an email when we add it back to the store if she has a waiting list request. The link to that form is here - http://www.hiddenvalleyhibiscus.com/pages/waitinglist.htm

Thanks for the comments!

Charlie

I am also very satisfied with Woodoo Magic. It is very floriferous which is one of the characteristics that I appreciate the most.  The bloom stands upright, and has a nice form. It lasts for two days in my autumn, I have not seen it in summer. In autumn, it is brown the first day, and the second day it gets a golden rim, I like the both faces very much.

I did not know I rooted so well. I will try this spring.

Nina, 9b

I am waiting for my voodoo magic to arrive  :)

Yes I can't wait my husband is buying them for me  :D.  I told him I want more soon I already have a list hehehehe

My voodoo Magic is doing nicely now
(http://kerrysroxy.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p890847923-4.jpg)

When should I transfer it to a bigger pot ?

The Voodoo Magic came in a 6 inch pot, right? If you want it to continue to grow larger then it can be transplanted to a larger pot anytime now. It can also remain in the 6 inch pot but won't grow as fast or as large. The new pot should be between 8 and 12 inches wide and about as high as it is wide. Going with one larger than that now would be a little risky.

Charlie

Today, I have counted 38 buds, small and big, on my five branch Woodoo Magic! Three were open, what a festival! It has such saturated colors!  Enough for me to fall in love unconditionally with this one!

Now those are some pretty Voodoo Magic flowers!  Great color, Nievesgirl...

As Nina noted, Voodoo Magic buds up about as well as any hibiscus every could, even rivaling some of the garden varieties. I would like to see a really big, fully grown one and see how many flowers it could open in a single day.

Charlie

A beauty, a real beauty.

Wow, Nivesgirl, I agree with Charlie.  What fantastic color!!

Have any of you guys noticed your VM to be a slower growing variety?  My big old VM was, and I recently bought a 4" VM and am noticing the same trend.  Maybe it's because I thoroughly inspect all my hibs every day, though, hurrying them along to bloom, and don't see the small changes. :)

Interesting question, Darkhouse. For me Voodoo Magic grows fairly rapidly to a certain size and then slows way down. It branches naturally and really well in response to pinching. Then it buds up so heavily that I think the energy and nutrients are mostly used for buds and blooms and not much for growth. Someone wanting one to grow big might accomplish that by pruning in early summer so that it mostly grows and does not bloom during the long light months.

 If you got a 4" one from me there is a good chance that I pinched the top shortly before you got it. That gives the plant the appearance of not growing for a couple of weeks while the new shoots slowly emerge from nodes below the pinch. However, those new shoots grow faster as they get bigger and before you know it they are making buds and blooming like crazy.

Of course the growth in California at this time of year is slowed by clouds and cool temps but as we get into July and the new growth starts taking off I think you will see a big change.

Charlie

Interesting... and it definately makes sense that the plant's energy would go into bud production.  I did get the 4" from you.  It came with a 4" Chariots of Fire.  Both were about the same size when I got them, but now the COF has doubled the VM's size.  However, the VM already has one little bud on it, and it's only about 5" tall!  I'm anxiously awaiting flowers from both. 

I will try pruning it when it gets a little bigger and the weather clears up-- here in the bay area we're having our yearly June gloom too.  It hasn't really gotten out of the low 70's this year other than one weird weekend in May where it was 98.  This coming week is supposed to be in the 80's, though, and I'm hoping that will speed everybody up in terms of growth.

The Woodoo bush today, still full of buds:

Excellent, Nina!  Is this Voodoo Magic one that was grafted from wood you received?

Charlie

Hi, Charlie, yes.

I found out the parents of Voodoo is Nightfire x Rum Runner.

Charles I thought you mention renaissance blue as being one of the parents ?

Yeah, I thought it was RB x Gabriel...?

I emailed Bobby Dupont , and that is what he gave me nightfire x rum runner
?  I am confused now  ???

Interesting. Since it is not registered yet, my info came from what Dupont said back when the bloom was brand new.

Back on July 11, 2006, Bobby Dupont (Sr) wrote a message to the THML mail list that hit my mail box at 8:47:24 AM PDT. You should be able to read this for yourself by going to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/THML and finding the message at this date and time.

The message said:
copy and paste from original:

Tom,
 
The cross on Voodoo Magic was Renaissance Blue X Gabriel.  It does not propagate easily by cuttings or grafts,  but does grow fairly well and blooms plenty.  We do have another that bloomed this week that the color is very close to it and has more body.  We took cuttings of it  and will let you know how it does.  Will send you a picture when my grandson gets back from the Ohio State Sort Course.
 
Bobby

Thank you charles for Clearing this up , I did a search in yahoo list and could not find info. Maybe some one else from the company ( dupont) emailed me and not Bobby himself. I asked another vendor and they said Renaissance Blue X Gabriel.

I got a little worried since Voodoo looks nothing like rum runner or nightfire.

Voodoo Magic twins today, both with large petaloids.  Much better color this time!!

Very pretty Voodoo Magic flowers!  Has it been a good bloomer for you?

Charlie

Now that it's gotten bigger, it has been blooming like crazy.  It opened another flower today, but went in the tub for spider mites.  I'm having to do all of my cvs.

I think the good color comes from the HVH fertilizer.  The other VM I had last year was getting Miracle Grow and NEVER showed colors like this for me.

So far I like voodoo magics colors when its cooler. Its much darker and I love how textured the petals are. In the warmer weather it looks just how jordans picture.

Hello to all,here little photo of my Voodoo ;)

My Woodoo started blooming like crazy at the beginning of the blooming season. After a month, it has made a long break....not dropping buds, just not making the new ones. Now, it is starting again. This reminds me of Heaven Scent, that also blooms like that, in cycles. Is that a characteristic of Woodoo Magic?
It has been well fed all the time.

ciao, NIna

My Voodoo make more flowers than other hibs I have  :)

One reason for that is that it makes a lot of stems, and every stem can bloom when the plant is happy with conditions.

Charlie

yes Voodoo is a great cv, i had trouble with mine because of salt burn but now its growing like crazy and it looks so much better. I will hard prune this one since I never pruned it since i got it. i did pinch it and that method turned out to be a great one. Again thanks chris :D

Charlie, Would you recommend Voodoo Magic for North Texas?
John

I highly recommend VM for anyone.  It does seem like a cv that has salt burn issues, as I had problems with mine getting burnt up a bit too.  I flushed it out and it's now back to normal.  Fast growth, lots of branches on its own, and TONS of flowers!  Make sure you give it HVH fert, booster, and growth enhancer if you like those really dark brown flowers.

Thanks, DarkHorse! Will it handle 100 deg for 30 days?
John

I haven't had any feedback from people growing it in extra hot climates, but based on the performance in my greenhouse I would say it is one of the few double flowered varieties that does not drop a lot of buds during mid-summer. I have yet to find a hibiscus variety that won't grow in hot climates if watered enough and provided shade as needed, but finding doubles that will bloom in the heat is more of a challenge. I would say Voodoo Magic is one of your best bets.

Charlie

John I saw your post in the other thread regarding how voo doo magic is for me. I don't have my plants out in full sun and its not that hot in CA. I do like this cv and I think its worth a shot.

As charlie noted the blooms to not fall as easily with voodoo. I had thrips and my blooms would not fall off. They would open still.

Thanks everybody!  I bought two today, that I will winter in the house and put them out in the spring as a Feature for our front landscape. That sure will give it some POP!

John

Charlie you consider VM a double?  Is this because it can have petaloids in hot conditions?

John, I don't know about 100 deg for 30 days.  It doesn't normally get that hot here for that long, but mine has done well in 100 degree conditions for 4 or 5 days straight in full sun.  Lots of water though!

My Voodoo Magic.....

(http://i55.tinypic.com/2i09nc7.jpg)

Mine with Spring color.