Hibiscus is a genus of plants in the family Malvaceae native to the tropics and subtropics. The genus is quite large, comprising 319 species. Hibiscus are renowned for their large, showy flowers and those species are commonly known simply as "hibiscus", or less widely known as rose mallow. The genus includes both annual and perennial herbaceous plants, as well as woody shrubs and small trees.
Several species are widely cultivated as ornamental plants, notably Hibiscus syriacus and Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis.
Description
Vegetative characteristics Hibiscus are annual or perennial, 0.1–4 m tallWestern Australian Herbarium & Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. (n.d.). Hibiscus L. Florabase — the Western Australian Flora. Retrieved September 18, 2026, from https://florabase.dbca.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/21756 shrubs, subshrubs, trees, or herbsHibiscus in Flora of China @ efloras.org. (n.d.). Retrieved September 18, 2026, from http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=115438 with alternate, usually stipulate, petiolate leaves with an entire or lobed margin.Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. (2018, December 27). Hibiscus. VicFlora Flora of Victoria. Retrieved September 18, 2026, from https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/006de5fa-3709-4099-ad28-54613498082d The leaf venation is pinnate or palmate. Generative characteristics The flowers are large and conspicuous. They are trumpet-shaped, with five or more petals, colour from white to pink, red, blue, orange, peach, and from 4–18 cm broad. Flower colour in certain species, such as H. mutabilis and H. tiliaceus, changes with age. The fruit is a dry five-lobed capsule, containing several seeds in each lobe, which are released when the capsule dehisces (splits open) at maturity. It is of red and white colours. It is an example of complete flowering.
Taxonomy It was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753Linné, Carl von, & Salvius, Lars. (1753). Caroli Linnaei ... Species plantarum :exhibentes plantas rite cognitas, ad genera relatas, cum differentiis specificis, nominibus trivialibus, synonymis selectis, locis natalibus, secundum systema sexuale digestas... (Vol. 2, p. 693). Impensis Laurentii Salvii. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/358714 with Hibiscus syriacus as the type species.Hibiscus L. (n.d.). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved September 18, 2026, from https://www.ipni.org/n/328182-2 Etymology The generic name is derived from the Greek name ἱβίσκος (hibískos) which Greek botanist Pedanius Dioscorides gave to a plant now scientifically labelled as Althaea officinalis.Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, ἰβίσκος
Distribution Hibiscus species are numerous, and are native to a wide variety of tropical and warm temperate regions, from China to East Africa to Hawaii. There are 35 species which are native to the US. Scarlet rosemallow, a Hibiscus species native to Florida, thrives in wetlands, as does the less common swamp rosemallow. Rose of Sharon is not a rose, but rather a hibiscus shrub, native to both Northern Israel and Syria.
Species
Several hundred species (433 in 2026) are accepted, including:
Hibiscus acapulcensis Fryxell Hibiscus acetosella Welw. ex Hiern. – false roselle Hibiscus aculeatus — comfortroot Hibiscus aethiopicus L. Hibiscus aponeurus Hibiscus × archeri — red hibiscus Hibiscus arnottianus A.Gray — koki'o Ke'oke'o (Hawaii) Hibiscus bifurcatus — fork-bracted rosemallow Hibiscus biseptus — Arizona rosemallow Hibiscus boryanus — foulsapate marron (Mauritius and Réunion) Hibiscus brackenridgei A.Gray — Hawaiian hibiscus ma'o hau hele Hibiscus calyphyllus — lemonyellow rosemallow (tropical Africa) Hibiscus cameronii — Cameron's hibiscus, pink hibiscus Hibiscus cannabinus L. — Kenaf Hibiscus clayi O.Deg. & I.Deg.— Hawaiian red hibiscus (Hawaii) Hibiscus coccineus (Medik.) Walter — scarlet rosemallow Hibiscus columnaris — mahot rempart Hibiscus cooperi J.Veitch f. — one of the parent species of Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis (Erromango Island, Vanuatu) Hibiscus coulteri — desert rosemallow Hibiscus dasycalyx — Neches River rosemallow Hibiscus denudatus Benth. — pale face (Southwestern US, Northwestern Mexico) Hibiscus dioscorides (Yemen) Hibiscus diriffan A.G.Mill. (Yemen) Hibiscus diversifolius — swamp hibiscus Hibiscus elatus – mahoe Hibiscus engleri – wild hibiscus Hibiscus erlangeri (Ethiopia and Somalia) Hibiscus escobariae Hibiscus fragilis DC.—mandrinette (Mascarene Islands) Hibiscus furcellatus Desr. — lindenleaf rosemallow (Caribbean, Florida, Central America, South America, Hawaii) Hibiscus genevei Bojer (Mauritius) Hibiscus grandiflorus Michx. — swamp rosemallow (Southeastern US) Hibiscus hamabo Hibiscus heterophyllus — native rosella Hibiscus hirtus — lesser mallow Hibiscus hispidissimus Hibiscus insularis Endl. — Phillip Island hibiscus (Phillip Island) Hibiscus kaute L.A.J. Thompson & Butaud — one of the parent species of Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis (French Polynesia) Hibiscus kokio — red rosemallow Hibiscus laevis All. (=H. militaris) — halberd-leaved rosemallow (central and eastern North America) Hibiscus leptocladus (Northwest Australia) Hibiscus liliiflorus — Rodrigues tree hibiscus Hibiscus lunariifolius Hibiscus macilwraithensis (Australia) Hibiscus macrophyllus — largeleaf rosemallow Hibiscus macropodus Hibiscus makinoi — Okinawan hibiscus Hibiscus malacophyllus Balf.f. (Yemen) Hibiscus martianus — heartleaf rosemallow Hibiscus mesnyi Pierre ex Laness. (Vietnam endemic) Hibiscus moscheutos L. — crimsoneyed rosemallow (Central and Eastern North America) Hibiscus moscheutos subsp. lasiocarpos (synonym H. lasiocarpos ) — woolly rosemallow Hibiscus mutabilis L. — cotton rosemallow, Confederate rose (East Asia) Hibiscus paramutabilis Hibiscus phoeniceus — Brazilian rosemallow Hibiscus platanifolius Hibiscus poeppigii — Poeppig's rosemallow Hibiscus pusillus Thunb. – bladderweed Hibiscus quattenensis Hibiscus radiatus — monarch rosemallow Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis L. — Chinese hibiscus, a pre-colonial Polynesian hybrid of Hibiscus kaute (French Polynesia) and Hibiscus cooperi (Vanuatu) Hibiscus schizopetalus — fringed rosemallow Hibiscus scottii Hibiscus sinosyriacus Hibiscus socotranus Hibiscus splendens Hibiscus stenanthus Balf.f. (Yemen) Hibiscus striatus — striped rosemallow Hibiscus sturtii (Australia) Hibiscus syriacus L. (type species) — rose of Sharon (Asia) Hibiscus taiwanensis S.Y.Hu Hibiscus tiliaceus L. — sea hibiscus (Australia, Southeast Asia, Oceania) Hibiscus tozerensis (Australia) Hibiscus trilobus — threelobe rosemallow Hibiscus trionum L. — flower-of-an-hour Hibiscus vitifolius — tropical rose mallow Hibiscus waimeae A.Heller — koki'o ke'oke'o (Hawaii)
Formerly placed in the genus
Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench (as H. esculentus L.) Abelmoschus ficulneus (L.) Wight & Arn. (as H. ficulneus L.) Abelmoschus manihot subsp. manihot (as H. manihot L.) Abelmoschus manihot var. pungens (Roxb.) Hochr. (as H. pungens Roxb.) Abelmoschus manihot var. tetraphyllus (Roxb. ex Hornem.) Borss. Waalk. (as H. tetraphyllus Roxb. ex Hornem.) Abelmoschus moschatus subsp. moschatus (as H. abelmoschus L.) Abelmoschus moschatus subsp. tuberosus (Span.) Borss. Waalk. (as H. sagittifolius Kurz) Alyogyne cuneiformis (DC.) Lewton (as H. cuneiformis DC.) Alyogyne hakeifolia (Giord.) Alef. (as H. hakeifolius Giord.) Alyogyne huegelii (Endl.) Fryxell (as H. wrayae Lindl.) Alyogyne pinoniana (Gaudich.) Fryxell (as H. pinonianus Gaudich.) Astrohibiscus caesius (as H. caesius ) — dark-eyed hibiscus (southwestern Tanzania to South Africa) Blanchardia clypeata (as H. clypeatus ) — Congo mahoe Bombycidendron campylosiphon (as Hibiscus campylosiphon ) Cravenia panduriformis (as H. panduriformis ) Firmiana simplex (L.) W.Wight (as H. simplex L.) Lagunaria patersonia subsp. patersonia (as H. patersonius Andrews) Kosteletzkya adoensis (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) Mast. (as H. adoensis Hochst. ex A.Rich.) Kosteletzkya pentacarpos (L.) Ledeb. (as H. pentacarpos L.) Kosteletzkya tubiflora (DC.) Blanch. & McVaugh (as H. tubiflorus DC.) Kosteletzkya virginica (L.) C.Presl ex A.Gray (as H. virginicus L.) Pavonia arabica Hochst. & Steud. ex Boiss. (as H. flavus Forssk.) Pavonia spinifex (L.) Cav. (as H. spinifex L.) Radyera farragei (F.Muell.) Fryxell & S.H.Hashmi (as H. farragei F.Muell.) Sabdariffa gossypiifolia (Mill.) M.M.Hanes & R.L.Barrett (as H. sabdariffa ) — roselle, omutete, or sorrel Thespesia lampas (Cav.) Dalzell (as H. lampas Cav.) Thespesia populnea (L.) Sol. ex Corrêa (as H. populneoides Roxb. or H. populneus L.)
Uses Landscaping Hibiscus species are grown for their showy flowers or used as landscape shrubs, and are used to attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. In the Philippines, it is considered to be the Queen of the Garden. Hibiscus is used as an ornamental flower in tropical and sub-tropical zones worldwide.
Rope and construction The ropes on the missionary ship Messenger of Peace were made of fibres from hibiscus trees.
Food Dried hibiscus is edible, and it is often a delicacy in Mexico. It can also be candied and used as a garnish, usually for desserts. Contrary to popular assumptions that the flowers or petals are what is being eaten, it is the calyces. Hibiscus sabdariffa, also known as "Jamaica" or roselle, is the species of hibiscus used to make herbal tea. Since it is sour, it is often mixed with honey, sugar, or cinnamon. In Tobago, it was used as fodder for animals.
Folk medicine Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis is described as having a number of medical uses in Indian Ayurveda.Plants for a Future: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. (accessed 07/05/2009) In Tobago, it was used for hygienic purposes (dental.) Hibiscus has many health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure and providing antioxidants. In ancient Hawaii, chewing and swallowing the leaves was considered a natural laxative. Chewing its seeds was seen as a way of strengthening a feeble child.
Precautions and contraindications
Pregnancy and lactation While the mechanism is not well understood, previous animal studies have demonstrated anti-fertility effects of H. × rosa-sinensis. The H. × rosa-sinensis extract has exhibited contraceptive effects in the form of estrogen activity in rats. These findings have not been observed in humans. The H. × rosa-sinensis is also thought to have emmenagogue effects which can stimulate menstruation and, in some women, cause an abortion. Due to the documented adverse effects in animal studies and the reported pharmacological properties, the H. × rosa-sinensis are not recommended for use during pregnancy.
Symbolism and culture The red hibiscus is the flower of the Hindu goddess Kali, and appears frequently in depictions of her in the art of Bengal, India, often with the goddess and the flower merging in form. The hibiscus is used as an offering to Kali and the god Ganesha in Hindu worship.
The pink hibiscus flower has its origins in Asia and the Pacific Islands, where it has served as a symbol of beauty, femininity, and young love. It is commonly associated with the Hawaiian culture and the Aloha spirit, which celebrates love, happiness, and peace. In Hawaii, it is used for decoration, particularly behind one's ear. In ancient times, they were used to create lei, which were short-lived but gorgeous.
As a national and state symbol The hibiscus is a national symbol of Haiti, and the national flower of nations including the Solomon Islands and Niue. Hibiscus syriacus is the national flower of South Korea, and Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis is the national flower of Malaysia. It is also the state flower of Hawaii.
References
External links
Plant of the Month: Hibiscus at JSTOR Daily American Hibiscus Society (AHS) Australian Hibiscus Society International Hibiscus Society Vicki J. Coldwell Plant and care Hibiscus