[John J]

My H. mutabilis has begun its autumn flowering phase. I have 2 trees, obtained from different sources, and while the flowers on this one open pure white, before blushing pink and ending up deep red as they shrivel and fall in the evening, the other misses the first stage and opens pink. The first 2 photos were taken this morning, both on the same tree, the 3rd was taken a few years ago.

[Alisdair]

John, Thanks very much for introducing this splendid plant to the forum (with such characteristic pictures). It's far less widely known than it deserves to be, both beautiful and fascinating. Helena and I have just been drooling over your photos, as she says "As I keep saying we must get one... look at that... incredible... gorgeous."

[John J]

Thanks, Alisdair. The tree was in flower during the AGM in 2009 and I picked a few on one of the days as I was on my way out to meet the group at the hotel. The initial reaction from several people was that they were artificial. This particular tree is surprisingly tolerant when it comes to water, or lack of, it is not irrigated and only gets intermittent water if something else in the vicinity looks a bit thirsty.

[Cali]

I'm not sure that my tree, which bears single flowers, is a Hibiscus mutabilis. All the others that I've seen are double. Here is a photo with a fresh and a spent flower.
Any opinions?

[John J]

Cali, I believe your plant is a H. mutabilis. The leaves are the same and the flower behaves in the same way, apart from being single. I have never seen a single variety but they do exist.

[Alisdair]

Cali, The double form used to be described as Hibiscus mutabilis forma plenus, with the single form as the type species, but they're now all reckoned as in the same species. Very interesting to see your picture - I'd never seen the single form.

[Cali]

Thank you both. I've never been sure since I bought it 20 or so years ago at a plant sale as something else altogether and it took years to flower.
Cali

[John]

It is said to be native to south east China and the double form given the name "forma plena" which presumably means their are many clones of this form implying (perhaps) that the double is fertile and produces double seedlings?

[John J]

My tree certainly produces an abundence of seeds but I've never been tempted to try germinating them before. Now, curiosity aroused, I have an incentive to do so. I'll let you know what happens, if anything.

[Fleur Pavlidis]

I sowed some seeds given to me by a friend thinking they were H. mutabilis, but in fact they have turned out to be H. paramutabilis I think. Anyway they germinated and transplanted very easily and flower quite well. The unplanted ones came through this summer in pots though my nursery watering system kept letting me down. They make rather inelegant bushes so I'm trying a mass planting.

[Alisdair]

Have you pictures, Fleur?

[Cali]

I looked it up in the RHS Plant Index and it says it's similar to H. mutabilis but "epical". Since I'm botanically illiterate, and the kind of "epic" I know about doesn't seem relevant, I'll ask for help in translation....
Yes, do you have a photo, Fleur? Because I bought a small supposed mutabilis from the nursery in Ag.Dimitrios when we went there together ages ago. It has since grown well but is a different hibiscus, I have no idea what. It does flower in the autumn, so maybe it ii is the epical kind.

[Alisdair]

Epical means having an apparent second calyx, an outer ring of sepals or bracts around the true calyx: but a photo would be much more helpful!

[Cali]

Thank you Alisdair--I knew you'd come through.
My mystery autumn-flowering hibiscus has not flowered yet (it usually flowers later than the single mutabilis but this year I see no sign of buds... maybe because of the unusually dry summer and autumn) so I can't check whether it's epical or not.
Here are photos of the two together, and a close-p of the mystery. Fleur, does it look like yours?

[Fleur Pavlidis]

I can only post a photo taken just now of the leaves and buds from one of my plants. Below are some photos from Traude Gotsis of single Hibiscus which she calls mutabilis and she was the one who kindly gave me the seeds.