Flower Of An Hour
Hibiscus trionum
Family: Malvaceae
What it is like
Hibiscus trionum is a ANNUAL/PERENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10 and is frost tender. It is in flower from July to August, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.
Height (m): 0.6
Where it is found
Cultivated ground and waste places in S.E. Europe.
Arid old world tropics. Naturalized in S.E. Europe.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Young leaves and young shoots - raw or cooked. Root - it is edible but very fibrousy. Mucilaginous, without very much flavour.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 1
The flowers are diuretic. They are used in the treatment of itch and painful skin diseases. The dried leaves are said to be stomachic.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.
Stomachic: Aids and improves the action of the stomach.
Other
Rating: 0
How it is grown
Prefers a well-drained humus rich fertile soil in a sheltered position in full sun. A very ornamental plant, it is an annual or short-lived perennial. Not very frost-tolerant, if started off early in a warm greenhouse it can be grown as an annual in Britain, flowering and setting seed in its first year.
Propagating it: Seed - sow early spring in a warm greenhouse. Germination is usually fairly rapid. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. If growing them as annuals, plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer and protect them with a frame or cloche until they are growing away well. If hoping to grow them as perennials, then it is better to grow them on in the greenhouse for their first year and to plant them out in early summer of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Overwinter them in a warm greenhouse and plant out after the last expected frosts.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Annual/Perennial
Hardiness: 9-11
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist