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seaecho1

This is what I want! Possible?

seaecho1
17 years ago

I'll be frank - I'm new to tropical hibiscus, and want an indoor one. EXCLUSIVELY indoors. I want a compact, small (for a hibiscus,lol) hib that does well indoors in sunny S. California in a west window. A plant that blooms reasonably reliably, and is blue, purple, or different shades that include blue or purple. I love multi colored blooms too. But most of all, I want a plant that will be particularly easy for a beginner's first hibiscus. Night Fire charmed me, and I love the color combo, but a member of another board said the plant can become gangly and unattractive, with blooms being rare. Would Electric Blue be a better bet? I'm having trouble finding recommended hibiscus for indoor growers on the web. Any and all suggestions are welcome. Thank you!

Randi

Comments (2)

  • fernhills
    17 years ago

    Hi, Randi, I'm new to this forum too and like you, I would like a very small hibiscus. In my case, one that would grow under florescents with very limited space...sharing it with other plants. Is there anything like a dwarf hibiscus that blooms freely and prolifically, anyone? Thanks!

  • watergal
    17 years ago

    Sorry, folks, there ain't no such critter as a dwarf hibiscus. You can buy them sometimes at nurseries where they have been sprayed with a chemical that retards growth, so they look like a dwarf with lots of flowers. However, they will either have trouble dealing with the growth retardant and die eventually, or the retardant will wear off and they will start to grow tall and ganglier again. You might be able to keep them happy for 3 months to a year before one of those things happens.

    The ones that are easy to grow get quite large and are red. The blues and purples are much harder to grow, especially inside all year. I have Night Fire and it doesn't bloom a lot, even with summers outdoors, but it is lovely when it does bloom.

    You will not be able to get one to bloom under just fluorescents - I've tried. If you can supplement with a bright window, you might get a few flowers.

    I have one client who has a small red hibiscus that is in a very, very sunny window, and it blooms most of the time, one to three flowers at a time.

    You might check into the flowering maple, Abutilon, which is a relative. They stay smaller, with correspondingly smaller flowers. They tolerate colder temps - down to 20 or 25 degrees F outdoors. Flowers come in orange, yellows, pinks, peaches, but I don't think any blues or purples.

    I've bought some online from exotichibiscus.com. One reason I like that seller is that he specifies which ones are compact and good for indoors. But I still find that the ones you buy in spring at nurseries, generally called "garden varieties" as opposed to "cultivars" or "exotic varieties" are much easier to grow - fewer pests, less root rot, more blooms. The more exotic flowers and unusual colors are more eyecatching but much more demanding and prone to drop dead.

    You can email me if you want further info, I'll try to help.

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