Many Rose of China plant varieties bloom in various bright colors including red, white, pink, yellow and orange.
These plants have a long life span when cared for well and can grow over 8ft tall. If grown in the home they need to be pruned well to keep it at the right size.
Growing and size: Many of these are grown in gardens or indoors as mentioned above, and can grow up to a fair few feet tall and wide. Growing in the home requires them to be pruned to keep there size down to what's suitable for the place it's housed in.
How they look: The Rose of China is an attractive shrub with shiny dark green, toothed leaves. Five colorful petals bloom and a long staminal column (pollen stalk) sits in the center of the flower. At the right height indoors they look charming.
Flowering: The flowers once fully bloomed will only last for a couple of days, however, they can flower a fair few times. When in blossom one flower will bloom and some varieties will produce two (both with five petals).
Other uses: Hibiscus flowers are used for medicinal purposes in china and the flowers are used in some places for adding to meals, such as salads.
| Origin: | China. |
| Names: | Rose of China, Chinese hibiscus, Shoe flower (common). Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis (botanical/scientific). |
| Max Growth (approx): | Height 18 ft - Leaves 3 in long - Flowers 4-5 inches. |
| Poisonous for pets: | Toxic to cats and dogs. |
| Temperature: | Minimum temperature should be no lower than 55°F (10°C). Ideal is approximately 60° - 75°F (15° - 24°C). |
| Light: | These need as much light as they can get, but not direct sun light. |
| Watering: | Watering the plant so the compost is kept damp is a good measure to use. |
| Soil: | A decent all-purpose potting mix. |
| Re-Potting: | Each year re-pot in spring. |
| Fertilizer: | Feed every 2 weeks during the growing season (spring and summer). Use a diluted liquid feed. |
| Humidity: | Spraying a water mist in the summer and within a warm room will comfort the Rosa. |
| Propagation: | The Rose of China is easy to propagate by taking stem cuttings in spring. They can also be propagated by seed, but they will take many months to grow and flower . |
Where they grow best: As mentioned above the Hibiscus rosa-sinensis likes plenty of light making them an ideal windowsill plant. You are in control of how tall or wide you grow the plant by pruning, which means you can choose where your hibiscus sits and looks, it's best
