Scientific Name:
Hibiscus acetosella
Pronunciation:
hye-BISS-kiss uh-see-tuh-SELL-uh
Common Name:
cranberry hibiscus, African rosemallow, false roselle
Family Name:
Malvaceae
Plant Type:
Annual (grown as)
Key ID Features:
Upright stiff bush; leaves alternate, orbicular-obovate, most 4-10cm long x 3-9cm wide, 3-5 deep lobes, usually dark red-purple, petioles, stipules linear-lanceolate, 8-15mm long; flowers hisbiscus-like, 5-10cm wide, petioles jointed near middle; capsules ovoid, 1.6-2.5cm long, red-brown.
Habit:
Dense, Upright
Form:
Oval - vertical
Texture:
Coarse
Mature Height:
0.7 - 1.3m
Mature Spread:
0.6 - 1.0m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Africa
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 11: (above 4 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Accent plant, Container planting, Group or mass planting, Perennial border, Specimen plant, Summer interest, Tall background
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivar shown: H. 'Red Shield'
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Lobed
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Heavily veined
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Colour in Summer:
Green, Red, Bronze, 'Maple Sugar' has bronze leaves
Shapes:
Orbicular
Apices:
Acuminate, Acute
Bases:
Cuneate, Truncate
Margins:
Crenate, Dentate, Serrate
Inflorescence Type:
Flowers solitary
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Funnelform
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White, Yellow, Violet, Purple, Pink, Red, Dark-red (Cream to dull pink or red; styles and stigma maroon)
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Aug, Sep
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Dark-red, Brown
Fruiting Time:
Oct
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant
Bark or Stem Colour:
Organ Modifications:
Stipule, leafy
Propagation:
Seed, Greenwood cuttings, Softwood cuttings, Layering, Division - below ground parts
Pest Susceptibility:
Blight or needle cast, Caterpillar or cutworm, Fungal leaf spot, Mealybugs, Mites, Root rot, Rust, Scale insects, Whitefly or psyllids, Wilt
