How Do You Start Hibiscus From Its Own Seeds?
Most hibiscus plants are hybrids–human-altered plants created by mixing pollen and seeds from different parents. While it’s possible to gather seeds from your hibiscus plant and grow new plants, chances are the baby plants won’t look the same as their mother. Aside from this, the greatest difficulty in growing hibiscus from seed is getting the mother plant to produce seeds at all. Even under the best conditions, some varieties are notoriously difficult to obtain seed from. Use a small, soft brush–an artist’s paintbrush works well–to pollinate the hibiscus seeds. Move the pollen from the plant’s pollen sacs (the little balls in the hibiscus flower) to the plant’s stigma pads (the small pads at the top of the flower). Pollinate in the morning, when temperatures are between 60 and 80 degrees F. If the humidity is high that day, all the better. Label the stem of the flower that’s been pollinated so you don’t lose track of it. Move the pollinated bloom so it faces away from the sun; this
