I acquired a small potted plant last year that was labeled Giant Turk’s Cap, so I had a real surprise when the first blooms appeared. They dangled straight down from slim, arching stems with frilly, deeply pinnately-lobed petals. These five petals were about 2-1/2 inches long and curled back upward making a delicate ball of variegated red and cream color.
The blooms resemble an oriental lantern or fancy chandelier. I ran to the computer to identify my new mystery plant. The long, columnar stamens typical of the Hibiscus family gave me a hint of where to start my search.
Description
My new beauty was a Hibiscus schizopetalus which is a native of tropical East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique). The genus name, Hibiscus, is old Greek and Latin for mallow, while schizopetalus means split petal. It has many different common names including fringed hibiscus, skeleton hibiscus, Japanese lantern, coral hibiscus and fringed rosemallow.
Blooms
Flowers are usually bright red, rarely pink, but often streaked. So, my variegated flowers of red and cream were striking. Each flower is produced singularly and dangles on a long thin pedicel from stem tips. Though very fragile and delicate looking, each bloom lasts for several days and though my plant was small, with only two actual branches, there were always three to four blooms to admire. They danced delicately with each gentle puff of breeze.
Like most members of the hibiscus family, it blooms intermittently throughout the year and is attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds. If pollinated, the flowers will be followed by oblong seed pods.
Growth
This plant is a fast grower and more closely resembles a weeping tree than a typical shrub, with its long, flexible, leggy branches. It will reach 10-12 feet tall and equally wide if left completely unpruned. It can easily achieve several feet of growth per season in ideal conditions.
Comparison
The hibiscus rosa-sinensis (tropical Chinese hibiscus) that comes in a multitude of cultivars and color varieties is the more common shrub we all know with the large, wide-petaled, upward or outward facing flower and the long columnar stamen. Their leaves are larger and darker green in comparison to Chinese lantern as well.
Where most varieties of the hibiscus rosa-sinensis grow into full, dense shrubs that can be a showy single specimen or a protective hedge, the Hibiscus schizopetalus is rather rangy and looks better planted among other plants of similar size. Alternatively, they can be kept in containers, indoors or out, if they receive adequate light and humidity.
Seasonal annual
Chinese lantern hibiscus is an evergreen perennial in tropical zones 10 and 11. Here in Victoria County’s temperate zone 9, it tends to be a curiosity and is considered a seasonal annual and often grown as a houseplant. Mine is planted in a flower bed and managed to make it through our reasonably mild winter this year.
I forgot to protect it and it did lose all its leaves when the night temperatures reached freezing but has leafed out nicely again. I’ve had good luck with other cultivars of hibiscus coming back from the roots after freezing. I hope this will be the case for my Chinese lantern through winters to come.
Light and water
H. schizopetalus prefers full sun and lots of moisture, so it does need a little TLC if it is to survive our dry, hot summers. If planted in the landscape, mulch well to retain moisture.
A potted plant will require daily watering. If a house plant, it will need lots of bright light. A plant that has been indoors will need time to acclimatize when moved outside, as the leaves will sun burn and drop. Irregular watering will cause the buds to drop.
Repotting
It will need to be repotted every year in early spring. It requires a rich, moist but well-drained potting medium and can be cultivated and propagated like other hibiscus, but rooting powder aids success.
Pruning
Unlike other hibiscus, H. schizopetalus does not do well with pruning – and blooms better without. Flowers are produced on short spurs of the previous year’s old wood, so pruning should be done very sparingly, and only every few years to maintain size. As the limbs tend to grow very long, arching and leggy, this plant does not fit well into every landscape area. Fertilization does not seem to benefit the blooming time of most hibiscus.
Issues
H. schizopetalus is susceptible to the same pests that plague other Chinese hibiscus. Watch for aphids, whiteflies, mealybugs and spider mites. It doesn’t like shade or cold weather.
The unique, delicate beauty of this hibiscus bloom makes it well worth the effort.
The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com, or comment on this column at VictoriaAdvocate.com.
Victoria County Master Gardener Association
