I haven't collected from a hibiscus before, but since it is in the mallow family, I would expect it to have a seed head that looks like one of those ring-arranged shimp cocktail platters, neatly packaged by the calyx almost like a flat gift basket wrapping. The seeds would be the shrimp, but fatter, if I remember hibiscus seeds correctly (some in the family really do look rather shrimp-like), and there would be a central disc where the dip would be. :)

Thanks Brian and Magus for posting a follow-up to my question. I will look more closely at the spent flowers and be patient. Thanks for taking the time to help another gardener. Brian, thanks for the tip on the beetle, that's all I need is beetles running our house.

Take Care and have fun in your gardens.

Oh Thank you Magus and Brian!! I have been admiring a hibiscus with huge dark pink flowers in my neighborhood. It is on a corner by the street sign, so I hope no one gets upset with me for snatching a little from it:)

Can I take flower as soon as it is spent (droopy and closed) or do I need to wait until it turns brown?

Nan

No, don't take a flower. A seed pod will form and it will be obvious. It's fairly large. It will turn brown and start to open at one end. The seeds are brown and more round than not. Hope this helps.
Gypsea

I just collected my hibiscus seeds yesterday. They'll be easy to see once they dry. You know the little green 'pods' that form before the flower blooms? After the flowers are spent for the season, a brown pod will form at the end of the stem in the same place. When it starts to "break open" at the end a la "Aliens" - that's when to get the seeds!! You'll get tons of seeds from a single pod.

Thank you so much for all the replies! Again, it sounds like I've made something more difficult than it should be. I'm going out to my Hibiscus plant right now to take a look again. GWers are the best........thanks agian.

If you have missed this round of seed pods, there will generally be a "round two" or a second blooming period, then you can watch more closely.

Go to the FAQs at the top of this forum. The second faq,"Saving your own seeds is easy to do" has a good picture of the seed pods of a hardy hibiscus. Hope this helps.

When I first sure a hibiscus Plants was in Amish country and I love then the moment I sure them I got some in red and yellow,white but They never grew back. We move and I have lot of space for my gardening and want to get all kinds of Hibiscus seeds to grow them. My last year plant didn't come back the deers kept getting at it but I think I got some seeds are the seeds the ones in the middle of the flower.Lillian

I live in zone 5. Is hibuscus annual or perrenial in my area?
Ranjana

Ranijana,

From what I understand there are annual and perennial hibiscus or hardy hibiscus. I too live in Z5. I bought a bunch of hibiscus and grew some from seed, thye all came back this year....I would say they're perennials.

Anyone at a garden center or trading seeds/cuttings online should know if they're plants are perrennial or not.

Alice

Hibiscus moscheutos, H. syriacus (Rose of Sharon) and H. coccineus are all perennials (at least to zone 5)....

If the foliage is variegated or the flowers are peach or yellow colored, there is a good chance they are an annual species in cooler zones. These are just general indicators, not rules.

I live in Minnesota and I've harvested seeds the last couple years from a hardy hibiscus in the SPRING. And they germinate beautifully! I saved the 14 best seedlings to give away next spring to family and friends.

I too have grown hardy hibiscus from seed and did so...sucessfully! Yes, they are great to grow from seed and the seedlings are easy to handle. Mine are going to bloom this year for the first time!

I've read that the Hardy perennial is recognized by the large heart shaped leaves that are dark green. Mine also appear to have a hint of purple in them.

Which do you experienced folk recommend, planting seeds in the fall or germinating & planting in spring?
I just acquired many seed pods from a hardy 'dinner plate' hibiscus & am thrilled!
Thanx for your input.

Hi Chrysalisunfurled,

I'm not experienced but might be able to share some good news. Hibiscus are extremely easy to grow from seed.

I've never planted seeds in the fall but I have started them indoors in the spring and had a lot of luck.

In fact, I just planted two seedlling today, permenately in the garden.

I have a couple plants I started about two summers ago and they're huge!

So, whichever way you go, you'll probably have some luck.

Take care! Alice

my mother had a nice big plant that came back every year for as long as i can remember . so when she had to move out because she couldn't be alone anymore my sister and i dug it up and took as many roots as we could find. I planted in early spring of this year and i seen life by June. Its been flowering for over 2 weeks now and have alot of seed pods forming. I was hoping i could grow the seeds and try to start a huge bush of them. I'm going to give it a try. thanks for all the information

HELP!
I have a lovely Hibiscus with creamy whitish/peachish flowers & a peachy pink center. But all the flowers fall off as soon as they start wilting. I can see very tiny "ovaries" in the center, but again, they just break off the stem before a seedpod really forms.
Is there something wrong with my plant or is there a trick that I can use to help keep the ovaries on long enough to develop?
FYI, ants have been wandering around the plant a lot this summer. Does that have any effect?

I have a lovely Hibiscus with creamy whitish/peachish flowers & a peachy pink center.
It sounds like you might have a tropical hibiscus, which is not hardy in your area. Did you just get it this year? Was it bought in a pot? Are the leaves fairly shiny?

Might you be able to get a pic of it?

If it is a tropical, it might be hard to get seeds from it.

Taken from the link below:
Q. Can I propagate my hibiscus from seed?
A. Yes, but because of the complex genetics of today's varieties, unless yours is a species hibiscus (unlikely), any seeds your plant produces will likely produce seedlings that have different bloom and plant characteristics . If you used pollen from a different variety, the odds are that it will share properties of both parents.
To get a plant to produce a pod, it needs to be a variety that is a "willing" seed producer and you need fresh pollen from a variety that has potent pollen. With temperatures between 60 and 80F degrees and high humidity and these "willing" parents, your chances are improved. The fresh pollen is applied to the stigma pads at the end of the style. If you have been successful, after the flower falls off, a pod will begin to form. After 6-10 weeks this pod (about the size of the end of your thumb) will turn brown (ripen) and open -- exposing black seeds about the size of apple seeds. Sometimes, even with "willing" parents and ideal conditions, it can be very difficult to get seeds.

Sue

Here is a link that might be useful: Tropical Hibiscus

hi, im wondering, can i pick out the seeds of the hibiscus when they are still green, or do i have to wait till they are brown? I picked em still green so hopefully they are ok and will dry out in a baggy? And they will be good until next year to plant? whats the best storage to make sure of that? thanks!:)

Angele,
No you can't pick the pods if the seeds are still green. They are not ripe enough and are no good. Think of seeds in a pod developing like a baby in a womb developing. If you remove the seeds too early, they haven't had the time to mature enough to be viable.
When you do collect them, and they are ready to be picked, you can store them in an envelope in a cool dark and dry spot.
Remy

I actually have pictures of what the seed pod looks like. I had never seen these before - even while living in the tropics during my childhood. My hibiscus bush have flourished and I noticed an odd looking "bud" square like.

I have a perianal Hibiscus plant. I am a first time gardener and want to save the seeds. All my flowers have dropped off after blooming, leaving the stalk look like they have been cut. I was under the impression that the seeds were in the green part of the flower and have been saving the flowers. Am I wrong? From what I have been reading above, I need to look for a pod, correct. what can I do to make sure that they produce pods, or are the seeds located in the bottom of the flower? Someone please help me get this straight in my head.

The thread for Hibiscus is old and you may want to ask somewhere else.

I have the red dinner plate and would love to trade for the other colors. i suspect that many of the hibiscus flowers are good in teas and high in certain B vitamins (I know sadbilla or 'sorrel' is). Gathering the seed from the dried seed pods was easy. Also, I think I grew this from a cutting from the nursery I worked at. A woman from Jamaica came in and said her dad grew them from cuttings, so i tried it and it worked.

MATURE SEED POD FROM LUNA HARDY HIBISCUS... WAITING FOR IT TO TURN BROWN :)...

WILL TRY PICTURE AGAIN IN A FEW...

This is what the seed pods look like

WAS SHOCKED WHEN I FIRST SEEN HARDY HIBISCUS SEEDS... THEY'RE SO SMALL.. I GOT 34-65 PER SEED POD... I HAVEN'T REALLY BEEN ABLE TO GERMINATE THEM THO... ONLY TO STARTED TO GROW BUT DIRST LEAVES BROKE OF TRYING TO EMERGE :(... WHAT KIND OS SOIL MIX SHOULD I USE ???.AND ANY OTHER TIPS WOULD BE APPRECIATED...

Following

@ Gail Stevens-Cryer

the hardy hibiscus seeds needs to be cold stratified, or winter sown. well needs to be, might be an overstatement, perhaps they germinate ok if not done, idk. i have only ever started them in the fridge, or outdoors in winter, in the ground or in pots. they start very well for me this way, though not always a high germination rate, at least half of them pop for me usually.

Thanks so much

WELL HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE I'VE FINALLY GERMINATED 6/20_HARDY SEEDS... HARD GERMINATED A FEW MORE BUT KEEP LOSING EM AFTER A WK... HOLDING MY BREATH N CROSSING FINNERS THAT THESE WILL MAKE IT...

2 OF 6 TRYING TO GROW :)...

Gail, I don't know what zone you're in, but here in zone 5A I've had the best luck winter sowing them. I have 2 clumps (about 25 plants each) that come back like crazy after wintersowing them in 2008. If you're not sure how, here is a link that may help you.

How to winter sow seeds

I have some hardy hibiscus 4 different colors I will be collecting the seeds from them this year, if any one would like to trade seeds i want the dinnerplate ones only, contact me @joyce.dougherty1@gmail.com

This is the second year I've attempted to find seed pods on my Red Hardy Hibiscus. The spent flowers drop, nothing but a stem has been left behind. Could I have a critter taking the seed pods, or what? I've studied the ground and so far have not found any there. Advice?

Maybe your seeds aren't being pollenated?

I have all kinds of hibiscus seeds that I can send you for postage if you want some.

Lisa

These are from my white hardy hibiscus with red centers. I left the pods last fall and just picked this while I was doing spring cleaning. The flower is pretty spectacular. I'm in zone 5b and they are perennial here.

This is the first year for our hardy hibiscus, purchased in July from nursery. The flower is gorgeous. After it dies away, a brown shell remains and opens but no seeds are inside. Probably not pollinated? What can we do about that?

Your hardy hibiscus will come back next year. If you want to propagate via seeds, I can pretty. You can pm me if you want.

heck dont yall consider them a weed?. years ago I finally eradicate mine... that was ar former house.

now this property they are everywhere constsntly pulling them up....now that just what I call regular ones. arent the large ones tropical?

Hello, I am new to this group. I saw this flower and fell in love. Now one thing with me is I read and learn as much as I can on every flower I have, so they get the right care. This Habiscus is becoming a challenge. First, my daughter's neighbor was going to just tear it out, I said no, I will take it. Here is a picture, now I have all these seeds and would like to start some indoors, and when to plant outside, I'm in zone 5. Here are my seeds. If anyone could give me some advice I would so appreciate it. Thank you all.

yes they are beautiful =)

also edible flowers, entire plant edible, all members of the hibiscus family and of the extended family of mallows are entirely edible.

easy care- they grow abundantly once established. you dont have to fuss over them much, just give them water every so often and they grow very big =)

rose of sharon, Hibiscus syriacus, is one kind of hardy hibiscus, the other main one being hibiscus moscheutos.

to sow your seeds, plant them in winter outside, either directly in the ground or in pots. let the winter cold stratify them for you, or alternatively you can look into the cold stratification methods using the fridge.

harvested , ??