Hi Hibiscus forum. I am lucky to live in Florida where Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is widely grown as a landscape plant. I have tried several times to root cuttings of different Hibiscus plants, with little success. They usually die, some of them seem to develop some root tissue but then do not successfully take. I have tried rooting them in soil with rooting hormone powder (25% compost, 25% perlite, 50% peat) as well as in straight water with rooting hormone powder. I have tried them outside on my porch (in shade) in late spring (around 70 - 85 degrees) as well as inside, which is where my current attempts are housed. Here are pictures of my current attempts as well as of the mother plants.

Does anyone who has successfully rooted Hibiscus rosa-sinensis have any advice for doing so? Thanks for reading.

I can't tell from the pictures, but it doesn't look like you've removed any bark from cuttings. I usually cut just below the node and then scrape some of the bark from the end of the cuttings. Then dust with rooting hormone and plant in coco coir. Some varieties will not produce strong roots.

Using a liquid hormone might work better than a powder and a 'wound' will expose more cambium to the hormone. Bottom warmth will also help.

Horntoad said:
I can't tell from the pictures, but it doesn't look like you've removed any bark from cuttings. I usually cut just below the node and then scrape some of the bark from the end of the cuttings. Then dust with rooting hormone and plant in coco coir. Some varieties will not produce strong roots.

CalPolygardener said:
Using a liquid hormone might work better than a powder and a 'wound' will expose more cambium to the hormone. Bottom warmth will also help.

Thanks for the advice! I did initially remove some bark but only on some and not enough because I was scared. Now I have done it for all of them and placed them within coconut coir over a heat mat in a chamber with a grow light. Something I failed to mention that I thought was interesting was that the cuttings have survived just in the water for over a month and grew all of the leaves visible, but did not grow any root tissue beyond a few buds. Here is a picture of the revised propagation. Thanks again.

i normally keep them in water and tented until they have couple inches of roots (i add 3% peroxide to water so it doesn't go bad), then i transfer them into perlite that is half flooded. Wait until the water is down to 1 inch and keep it like that until i see a lot of roots. Tented fully all the time. Then i transfer to mix on a wick for self-watering, still tented. I do all of that so i don't have to monitor much at all.
I usually take cuttings in summer. Winter cuttings even in Miami FL take much longer, but they do take eventually, though i loose some too, usually the smallest ones.
I read that it is best to take 12-18" cuttings for tropical Hibi's. I do all kinds 6-8" green wood, 10" semi-hard too. did 12" weeping Hibi too: put them in tall narrow detergent jar and they produced roots above water in high humidity inside jar.
I think that your cuttings are way too short by the way (except the first few pics). With my method they keep all the leaves too, so look like nice little plants from day 1.
I used to put them on heat mat too, but then they need constant monitoring which a can't always provide.

I always cut my cuttings in the transition area between fresh, green growth and older growth with bark. I usually take cuttings in fall and winter so they are very slow. I've taken a few in summer that rooted very quickly if they didn't rot.

I always root them in a medium that is heavy on perlite and some vermiculite. I keep them under a humidity dome for a month or two. I'd estimate 1/2 to 2/3 success on other colors, and 90% on red.