Hibiscus splendens
Hibiscus splendens
Safety & Hazards
The hairs on the seed capsules can cause severe skin irritation and need to be handled with care[1].
Cultivation Details
Hibiscus splendens is a native of eastern Australia, usually growing near the coast, and found from the tropics of northern Queensland to the warm temperate regions of southeastern New South Wales. It is not very cold hardy, tolerating short periods with temperatures down to around -8°c when fully dormant, though plants will often resprout from near the base if the stems are killed by winter cold[1]. Requires a sunny position, tolerating some shade in warmer climates[1]. Individual flowers last only 1 - 2 days, but new flowers continue to open over a long period, generally from spring through to summer[1].
Propagation
Seed - sow early spring in a warm greenhouse. Germination is usually fairly rapid and no special pretreatment is needed, although germination will be faster if the seed is abraded or soaked prior to sowing[1]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Grow them on in the greenhouse for their first year and to plant them out in early summer of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, mid summer in a frame[2]. They generally strike readily, particularly if cuttings are taken on an angle through a node and rooting hormone is applied to their ends[1]. Overwinter them in a warm greenhouse and plant out after the last expected frosts. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Hibiscus+splendens>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [1]Australian Native Plants Society — http://anpsa.org.au/index.html ↩︎A series of fact sheets on Australian plants. Good photographs, brief description and information on uses, habitat, range, cultivation etc.
- [2]The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. — Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. · Athens Ga. Varsity Press · 1987 · ISBN 0942375009 ↩︎A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.
- [3]Flora of New South Wales — http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/floraonline.htm ↩︎An on-line resource giving a brief botanical description of all the native plants of New South Wales, their habitat and range, together with diagrams and photographs of the plants.
- [4]The Useful Native Plants of Australia. — Maiden J.H. · Turner & Co.; London. · 1889 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org ↩︎Terse details of the uses of many Australian plants and other species naturalised, or at least growing, in Australia. It can be downloaded from the Internet.