Life Span
Annual
Annual and Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Central America, Mexico
China
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Number of Varieties
3140
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
gardens, Grassland, Homesteads, Subtropical climates, tropical environments
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-89-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
-
Sunset Zone
A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
21,22
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm600.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Yellow, Red, Dark Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Variety of soil types
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Stem Cutting, Tip cutting, Vegetative Reproduction
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
It cannot sustain wet-feet, Keep the Soil well drained, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water frequently while growing, Water more in summer, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
A hard prune may be necessary if the plant becomes woody, Cut leaves after fall, Cut or pinch the stems, Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness, Prune for shortening long shoots, Prune in early summer, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
Apply 10-10-10 amount, Balanced liquid fertilizer, Do not fertilize new plants until at least a month, Use a low phosphate fertilizer to improve the quality of the blooms
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Aphids, Mealybugs, Red spider mite, Scale, Thripes, Whiteflies
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Drought, Variety of soil types
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Borders, Landscape Designing
Beauty Benefits
-
Hair Conditioner, Prevents greying of hair, Prevents Premature Baldness, Promotes Healthy Hair, Promotes healthy skin, Speed hair growth
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
anti-inflammatory, Diuretic, Hair Loss, High blood pressure, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Flowers, Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Culinary use, Employed in herbal medicine, Jam, Jelly, Making Shampoo, Oil is used for aromatherapy, Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Showy Purposes, Traditional medicine, Use in Chinese herbology, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for bedding in gardens, Used for fragrance, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in making beverages, Used in paper industry, Used in salads, Used to make hair tonic
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Foundation, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
HIBISCUS rosa-sinensis 'Lillikoi Yellow'
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
China rose
In Hindi
Mousemelon
गुड़हल, जवा कुसुम
In German
Maus Melone
Tropical Hibiscus
In French
Mousemelon
Hibiscus Tropical
In Spanish
Mousemelon
hibisco tropical
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
τροπική Hibiscus
In Portuguese
melão rato
Hibiscus tropical
In Polish
mysz melona
Tropical Hibiscus
In Latin
mouse melon
Tropical Hibiscus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Malvales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Malvaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Hibiscus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Melothrieae
Hibisceae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Malvoideae
Number of Species
50100
1
27800
👆🏻