Red Hibiscus

From Chicago Botanic Garden, but no idea which variety.

Rich color! Is that a flower bud?

Pretty bloom, Nancy.
Do you have a pic of the whole plant?
It looks very similar to my water hybiscus,
e.g. the green seed pod that's forming.

A very snappy shot, bright, sharp and detailed. Great cropping.

Beautiful banner Nancy!

Thank you! Took awhile, but I did find the original from September 2012. I know it was taken while walking around one of the lagoons from other photos near it, and the light background is definitely water. I really can't tell what leaves or buds belong to what plant here ... but then I've never grown hibiscus so I'm not that familiar with it.

Is that Lord Baltimore?

Because it was along one of the lagoons, there were no name tags at all. But I'll accept whatever anyone else says it is!

re: Water Hybiscus (Hibiscus Coccineus)...pretty sure, unless
someone else knows for sure.

The stems & leaves also look like it.
It's tall (mine gets up to 8ft), deciduous, grows in shallow water or bog.
It produces seed pods, and I've had several volunteer around
our little pond where it has happily lived for the past 10yrs (at least).

I originally found one by accident at a place that sold pond plants,
and bought a ~30lb clump of it. It may be in nurseries, but haven't looked.
Easy to grow. Highly recommend it.
Here's a good article

EscondidoCal, I have the Water Hibiscus (Hibiscus Coccineus) TX Star one and the petals are pointed. Lord Baltimore has a more rounded petal.

karmahappytoes said: EscondidoCal, I have the Water Hibiscus (Hibiscus Coccineus) TX Star one and the petals are pointed. Lord Baltimore has a more rounded petal.

Here's a good article on Lord Baltimore that sheds light on it's lineage.

crawgarden said: Beautiful banner Nancy!

I'm content to let the discussion about which water hibiscus flow past me as I revel in the rich red and soothing green of this banner. It's another one in 'Christmas colors'. What's not to love?

Looks like a Texas Star to me. Lovely photo!

GrammaChar, Here is a TX Star photo.


Here it the TX Star Alba.


Here is the newest to our collection Lady Baltimore.


I am looking forward to adding the Lord Baltimore! This one excites me with the
banner posting.

Yup - I have Texas Stars and thought that was what the plant might be. A little hard to tell from the photo... LOVE your Alba variety!!! Any chance you would be willing to trade some seeds from it? I don't have a white one.

Yup - I have Texas Stars and thought that was what the plant might be. A little hard to tell from the photo... LOVE your Alba variety!!! Any chance you would be willing to trade some seeds from it? I don't have a white one.

Lady Baltimore is beautiful! I can see having Lady and Lord Baltimore growing together would be gorgeous!

Thank you Murky for posting this awesome banner! Photos when I can obtain one.
I grow the TX Star and Alba on the east end of my front oval bed. Both were well over 8 foot tall this year.

EscondidoCal, Thank you so much for the generous acorn.

GrammaChar, it would be an honor to trade with you. I harvested the first brown pods this morning. Let me know by tree mail where to send. Anyone else that would like to trade, please contact me.

Murky said: Lady Baltimore is beautiful! I can see having Lady and Lord Baltimore growing together would be gorgeous!

With tall Texan Stars in back.

I guess all of you grow yours in soil? Our clump in the pond actually floats, and
only gets the muck in the bottom for food, but does well each year.
Seedlings take 2yrs to bloom, but grow fairly quickly.

One for the road...
Here's a pic of a mantis on one of the blooms.
Mouseover to see the HDRI version.