The 'Confusing' Blue Hibiscus

In my last post I wrote about my pure white "Blue Hibiscus' and I confused a few people that are not familiar with this plant. It is not the hibiscus from Hawaii with the large, flashy flowers which is a tropical plant, although it is a member of the malvaceae family so I guess you would call it a distant cousin. A cousin that grew up in Australia, where this plant is from, as are many of the plants that do well in Southern California.


Unlike the tropical hibiscus, this plant requires little water and has few pest or diseases. It is a shrub that gets to be about five feet tall around here. It typically only comes with flowers in shades of purple, except for one white cultivator. Hope this clears up any confusion!