Thursday, December 11, 2008

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Pride of Hankins'

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Pride of Hankins' | ‘Hibiscus Landersii’

‘Pride of Hankins’ is an old heirloom Hibiscus cultivar originally from Florida, also known as ‘Hibiscus landersii’. It is best known as a proven root stock for grafting hibiscus rosa-sinensis cultivars, since it is easily propagated, is considered resistant to root-rot, and produces an abundant supply of wood for stem cuttings and root stock. Even without these wonderful traits, it is a beautiful cultivar worth growing for the flowers alone.

‘Pride of Hankins’ has glossy, dark green foliage on a dense, well-branched shrub that grows to about 2m tall. It has stunning ruffled, double flowers variously described as cerise-red, dark pink, or fuchsia. ‘Pride of Hankins’ is a prolific bloomer and grows well on its own roots. Although the flowers do not produce much pollen, they are very fertile and pass on the robust traits to offspring.