Hibiscus arnottianus (Arnott's Hibiscus)

200 (500)cm, Arnott's Hibiscus (Kokiʻo Kea or Koki'o Keokeo in Hawaiian language) is an evergreen tall shrub native of the Koʻolau mountains on Oʻahu island, Hawaii, USA. Hibiscus arnottianus is among the also Hawaiian endemic Hibiscus hannerae, Hibiscus immaculatus, Hibiscus punaluuensis and Hibiscus waimeae the only slightly violet or rose fragrant Hibiscus species in its genus. It has dark green, usually slightly glossy, glabrous leaves and quite large, pure white flowers with narrow petals and a long protruding reddish pistil. For any rich, well drained substrate in a partially shaded (summer) to sunny (winter) spot at a minimum of some 15°C. All plants offered as Hibiscus arnottianus with slightly rose or yellowish flowers are inevitably hybrids with Hibiscus x rosa-sinensis cultivars. The same applies to all white flowering plants with a reddish center - plants from true Hibiscus arnottianus always have a white center. Our plants are unhybridized, true-to-type and self-fertile with pure white flowers and a white center. Hibiscus arnottianus, the very closely related Hibiscus immaculatus, and Hibiscus punaluuensis have the narrowest petals of all Hawaiian endemic white flowering Hibiscus species. Any plant with significantly broader petals than the one shown in the photo from one of our mother plants is a hybrid or a wrongly identified different species. Even several Hawaiian based nurseries erroneously sell obviously hybridized plants with broad petals as pure Hibiscus arnottianus. The cultivar called Hibiscus arnottianus 'Wilders White' cultivar with broad petals is actually not a cultivar from the pure species, but a hybrid between Hibiscus arnottianus and possibly Hibiscus punaluuensis, and hence the correct naming would be Hibiscus 'Wilders White'. And to make confusion complete, some Hibiscus x rosa-sinensis hybrids with a red inner eye are being erroneously offered as 'Wilders White', whereas the real 'Wilder White' is entirely white, without any inner red eye. Be it as it is, from us you will get the true unhybridized species. VIII-XII.
5 seeds per package.

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