The variegated hibiscus is another excellent variety of Chinese rose. Unlike his fellows, he is particularly unpretentious, but still beautiful, surprising not only with the beauty of flowers, but also with the leaves.
This article will tell you what a hibiscus is variegated, what it looks like, what care requires, how it propagates by cuttings and planting seeds. And also what diseases and pests can threaten the health of Hibiscus Cooper and with what other colors it can be confused.
Plant description
Hibiscus are family Malvovye. At home, the plant can live up to 20 years. Each flower pleases the owner of a Chinese rose for about 1-2 days, after which it fades. Flowering lasts from March to October. Fruiting boxes with five leaves, in which there are a lot of gun-covered seeds. The variegated hibiscus is also called Cooper's hibiscus - in honor of the man who first brought it to Europe. Still in the course of the name "variegated".
The Latin name of this plant is Hibiscus rosa-sinensis var. cooperi. Hibiscus is the birthplace of South China. The variegated hibiscus was first introduced to Europe by Daniel Cooper.
In the modern world, the habitat of hibiscus is very extensive. The continental climate of the tropics of Indonesia, and also Sri Lanka, Sumatra, and the Hawaiian Islands is most pleasant for them.
Appearance
The hibiscus of this variety got its name because of the peculiarity of its leaves: in bright sunshine the leaves become variegated, green-white-red. Coloring may vary depending on the composition of the soil, lighting and other conditions of the bush. Petals can be of various colors and form large flowers. The latter can be both terry and ordinary. The diameter of the flower can reach 12 centimeters.
A photo
The beauty and diversity of the flower is amazing. See it in the photo below.
Peculiarities of home care
- Temperature. Hibiscus will be comfortable at a temperature of 16 to 22 degrees.
- Watering. Hibiscus loves moisture, and therefore the earth in its pot should always be hydrated. In the warm seasons of the year, it is enough to water it every 3-4 days. It is also important to maintain high humidity: the plant should be sprayed daily with warm settled water.Important! After watering, be sure to soften the top layer of soil.
- Shine. The Chinese rose is a lover of bright, but not direct light. Because she likes the place on the window sill of the south-west window. The flower can be positioned on the south window, but then it will need to pritenit.
- Priming. For this plant you need to pick a light, well-drained soil. If you want to make an earthen mixture yourself, then the following composition will be optimal: garden soil, coarse sand (or perlite) and humus (or wet peat) in equal proportions. You also need to add a small amount of lime.
- Pruning.
- In spring, all shoots are shortened by about a third to stimulate flowering. It should be remembered that flowering occurs only on shoots older than 3 months, and if you cut the plant in May, you can wait all summer for flowers.
Although hibiscus tolerates pruning normally, it is still impossible to trim more than two thirds of all the branches.
- In the autumn, after flowering, you can shape the plant by removing the dried branches, sticking shoots.
- In spring, all shoots are shortened by about a third to stimulate flowering. It should be remembered that flowering occurs only on shoots older than 3 months, and if you cut the plant in May, you can wait all summer for flowers.
- Top dressing. From early spring to late autumn, the flower needs fertilizer every 3-4 weeks.
Multi-hibiscus is contraindicated fertilizer with a high nitrogen content, as it stimulates the growth of green mass. And this can lead to the fact that the motley handsome man will lose the feature of his variety.
- Pot. A pot is needed with a drain hole. In size it is necessary to choose not too large, but not too small capacity: in a large pot hibiscus may not bloom at all.
- Transfer. Hibiscus needs a transplant every year to 5-6 years. Then you can only update the topsoil.
Before planting a plant in a new pot, you need to wait until the new soil has reached room temperature.
Lay a drainage layer up to 2 cm thick in a new pot.- Put a small layer of soil.
- Carefully remove the plant from the old pot. If the pot is plastic, you can slightly wrinkle its sides: it will be easier to get a flower.
- Inspect the roots and carefully remove the lumps of earth with a wooden stick (only those that fall free themselves).
- Place the hibiscus in a new container and gently fill it with soil, gradually tamping. The distance between the ground level and the edge of the pot should be about 1.5 centimeters.
- Wintering. The temperature during this period should be from 16 to 22 degrees. Watering is reduced, and watered only in order to prevent the soil from drying out in a pot. In winter, it is important to increase the light day of the plant with fluorescent lamps.
Lay a drainage layer up to 2 cm thick in a new pot.Reproduction by seeds and cuttings
The plant propagates by cuttings from March to September.
- Cut cuttings. Suitable as semi-woody and green.
- For rooting they are placed in water. To accelerate the appearance of the roots they create greenhouse conditions: cover with a film or glass.
The optimal time for seed propagation is from February to March.. In this variant, the first bloom in hibiscus will multiply in 3-4 years.
- Seeds about 12 hours kept wrapped in a wet rag.
- Then they are sown in a mixture of sand and peat (1: 1).
- The air temperature should be maintained around 25 degrees. To do this, you can use a glass jar, covered her pot.
- After the leaves appear, the sprouts dive into different pots.
Diseases and pests
Hibiscus is variegated unpretentious and fairly resistant to pests, but it can also be dangerous parasites. It can be attacked by aphid, thrips, whitefly, spider mite.
Similar flora representatives
- Dwarf Fiton will delight the owner with the same bright motley leaves, like the variegated hibiscus. Different varieties of phytonia - different colors: there are plants with silvery inclusions, is - with pink.
- Hypestes has large leaves, which are adjacent to bright red and green colors.
- Maranta it surprises even more, its leaves are almost symmetrically lined up with different color blocks: red, light green and dark green.
- Abutilon - a small indoor tree - belongs to the same family as hibiscus, and therefore its flowers are very similar in shape to fellow flowers.
- Flowers mallow also have a beautiful flower shape, similar to hibiscus.
Caring for hibiscus is not that difficult. A couple of simple rules, and he will delight in long flowering and sophisticated look.
