About Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L.
Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis, commonly called Chinese hibiscus, China rose, Hawaiian hibiscus, rose mallow, and shoeblack plant, is a cultigen of tropical hibiscus. It is a flowering plant belonging to the genus Hibiscus, tribe Hibisceae, and family Malvaceae. This is an artificial hybrid that was created in cultivation by Polynesians during the pre-Columbian era in the west Pacific, bred from the parent species Hibiscus cooperi (native to Vanuatu) and H. kaute (native to French Polynesia). It is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant across tropical and subtropical regions. It is the official national flower of Malaysia, and is also the unofficial national flower of Haiti. In terms of ecology, while this hibiscus' large, colorful flowers are typically attractive to nectar-eating birds, hummingbirds do not regularly visit its flowers when it is grown in the Neotropics. Occasional visitors include generalist hummingbird species like the sapphire-spangled emerald (Amazilia lactea), and long-billed species like the stripe-breasted starthroat (Heliomaster squamosus). In the subtropical and temperate Americas, hummingbirds do regularly seek out this hibiscus. The endangered Papilio homerus, the largest butterfly in the western hemisphere, is documented to feed on the nectar of H. × rosa-sinensis. H. × rosa-sinensis is widely grown as an ornamental plant throughout the tropics and subtropics. It cannot tolerate temperatures below 10 °C (50 °F), so in temperate regions it grows best under glass. Container-grown plants can be moved outdoors for the summer months, and moved to a sheltered location for winter. Many cultivars have been developed, with flower colors ranging from white, through yellow, orange, scarlet, and many shades of pink, and available with both single and double sets of petals. The cultivar 'Cooperi' has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. The flowers of H. × rosa-sinensis are edible, and are added to salads in the Pacific Islands. The flowers are also used as accessories, most often worn in hair. In some parts of India, the flowers are used to shine shoes, which gives the species its common name 'shoeblack plant'. In Indonesia and Malaysia, this flower is called kembang sepatu or bunga sepatu, which translates directly to 'shoe flower'. The flower can also be used as a pH indicator: it turns dark pink or magenta in acidic solutions, and green in basic solutions. In many countries, the flowers are dried to make a beverage, most commonly tea. In Chinese herbology, H. × rosa-sinensis is attributed a range of medicinal uses. Traditional uses in China include making black shoe polish from flower petals, and making black hair dye for women. Flowers are also used in parts of China to add color to various alcoholic liquors. This plant may have applications in cosmetic skin care; an extract from H. × rosa-sinensis flowers has been shown to act as an anti-solar agent by absorbing ultraviolet radiation.
