THE BELIZE HIBISCUS - Earth's Tropical Flower

CHRISTINA'S "FLOWERS OF BELIZE" SERIES (PART TWO)

Brought to you by Black Orchid Management, Ltd.

If you were to ask me what I like most about flowers, I will tell you, they make me happy.  They are beautiful to look at.  Have you ever seen someone gaze upon a beautiful flower and stay in a bad mood?  NEVER!  Flowers, lift our spirits, they can change our mood, they make us happy and it is the one way, that we can tell someone we love them, simply by handing them a flower.  Please follow me on my journey through the Belize rain forest jungle, to explore all the different flowers there are to see.  I sincerely hope you enjoy my series entitled "Flowers of Belize".  

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The red Hibiscus flower, is one of the most popular flowers found in Belize. You will find these in almost any garden, on any street, and in a pot on most porches here in Belize.  They are the most sought after flowering plant in this country.   The Hibiscus flower is both huge and delicate, as if they were made from crepe paper. The Hibiscus comes in many different colors variations, and hybrids.  Anything from soft pink to hot plum red, like what I have shown you below.  Others are bicolored or have attractive dark veins.

Hibiscus plants are divided into two main categories, 1) the tropical flowering hibiscus and the 2) hardy flowering hibiscus family.

In Belize, we have the tropical hibiscus version.  The tropical Hibiscus will not tolerate more than a night or two of light frost.  One hard frost, below 25 degrees can kill the whole plant.  These plants are native to sunny, warm, and usually humid tropical  places, which is why you find them so abundantly in Belize.  It will does not grow well in cooler, winter climates to the north or extreme south. 

The second variation, is the hardy Hibiscus, and is more adaptable to cooler climates, and can be grown and be enjoyed as far north as Minnesota and New York.  Hardy Hibiscus need very little care over the winter; they are root hardy and die back to the ground each year. Hardy hibiscus grow very quickly once they break ground in late spring.

We have Hibiscus flowering bushes all over the area we live, and they bloom off and on all year long.  Lauren and I love looking at them, and Lauren often can't resist picking them and putting them in her hair when going to school.

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