Hibiscus cooperi 'Nasilai Pink'

100 (250)cm, Hibiscus cooperi has been reinstated as a species of its own in 2019 and is endemic to Vanuatu in the southern Pacific Ocean. Nowadays it is very rare in habitat, however, it is still being grown in gardens in the Melanesia region. Hibiscus cooperi is one of the two parents of the original Hibiscus x rosa-sinensis, the other parent being Hibiscus kaute, which is endemic to the Marquesa islands, French Polynesia. Hibiscus cooperi is a low woody evergreen shrub with utmost showy, rose pink flowers with an inner red eye and a distinct white halo in the offered form 'Nasilai Pink'. This form can be traced back to cultivated plants found near the village of Nasilai (erroneously also spelled "Naselai"), Nakelo, Fiji island in 1965. In the garden trade Hibiscus cooperi is usually mistaken for Hibiscus storckii which is a different species and which is not present in cultivation. Additional, there is a Hibiscus x rosa-sinensis cultivar, namely 'Cooperi', which is often confused with the species. Even the Royal Botanical Garden at Kew cultivates wrongly identified Hibiscus cooperi in a white and rose form, and labeled as Hibiscus storckii. So if even Kew Gardens doesn't get it right with a proper identification ... Anyway, we do offer true to type seeds from Hibiscus cooperi 'Nasilai Pink'. However, please keep in mind that 'Nasilai Pink' is a particular color selection from Hibiscus cooperi and that this selection is not stable. This means that flowers from seed raised plants will not be identical to this selection. They will usually be very close, but with some variation in flower colors. Seeds from all Hibiscus species in section Lilibiscus (e.g Hibiscus arnottianus, Hibiscus cooperi, Hibiscus x denisonii, Hibiscus fragilis, Hibiscus genevii, Hibiskus kokio, Hibiscus mabberleyi, etc. ) germinate unevenly over a period of several months. Keep pots in a warm spot and the soil slightlly moist until germination will occur. For any rich, well drained substrate in full sun throughout the year and reduced watering in winter at a minimum of some 20°C. V-IX.
5 seeds per package.

U.S. customers only: seeds cannot be shipped to the U.S.