Hibiscus kochii
A Hawaiian-endemic flowering shrub or small tree native to Oahu and Kauaʻi with large bright red, intensely colored flowers that bloom most of the year, adaptable to full sun and drought-prone areas, rare due to habitat loss and invasive species, widely used ornamentally and culturally, and first described by Fryxell.
Common Names
Kokiʻo ʻula, Kauaʻi Hibiscus, Gumamela
Summary
A hibiscus species in the Malvaceae native to southwest Mexico grows as a tree in the seasonally dry tropical biome, occurring in Guerrero, Michoacán de Ocampo, and Oaxaca; it was first described by P. A. Fryxell in 1980.
Taxonomically categorized within Hibiscus/Gumamela groups for Mexico; there are no closely related species described in this grouping.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
5-15 feet
Spread
5-8 feet
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun.
Bloom Color
Red
Bloom Time
Year-round; peak in the warmer months.
Foliage Color
Glossy green
Growth Rate
Fast-growing
Seasons of Interest
All four seasons
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Fryxell
- Publication
- Techn. Bull. U.S.D.A. 1624: 38 (1980)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Malvales
- Family
- Malvaceae
- Genus
- Hibiscus