Hibiscis Bonsai?

[digger714]

Hello everyone. Has anyone tried growing a hibiscus as a bonsai? I know the flowers are a little large, but they have nice foliage. I have some in my yard that are perennials. Any info on them?

 

[Walter Pall]

see this:
http://walter-pall.de/floweringhibiscus_nr__1.jpg.dir/index.html

 

[John Ruger]

Outstanding!

 

[digger714]

Wow, thanks alot Mr Pall. Those are some beautiful trees. I thought they might do well, but hadnt seen many around. Do you keep them outdoors, or indoors? What temps are they ok to grow outdoors in. Im in zone 7b. Thanks again for the pics.

 

[Walter Pall]

This tree is kept indoors from middel of October to begining of May and outdoors the rest of the time. Outdoors in half shade at normal temperatures in zone 5b and doing very well as you can see.

 

[digger714]

Yes, it is doing great. That is just a beautiful little tree. When is the best time to heavy prune these? Ive had mine in a grow container getting the trunk a little larger, and i think its ready to start working into a bonsai. I have 2 branches that i can use in my final design, but need to get rid of most of the tree, and prune the roots to eventually get into a bonsai pot. I know it will be a several year process, but want to do it at the correct time. My first project will be taking it from a 3' tree to a 10" tree. Do you treat these as any deciduous tree? Thanks again for the help.

 

[Walter Pall]

When the hibiscus leaves the living room and goes out to the garde is a very good time to defoliate completely and to repot. Otherwise they are treated just like any other broadleved trees.

 

[clic8991]

While Mr. Pall's horticultural advice is no doubt accurate, this Hibiscus is an experiment meant to absolutely disregard Walter's own personal desire to recreate the aesthetic of natural form, while still maintaining a composition which is impressive to the public. Despite this I also like it, though it reminds me of the Emperors Clothes.

Many Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) are perennial shrubs in North Carolina and there are likely tons of aging landscaping specimens growing outside of dusty one story houses which might be large enough to form a proportional and stunning bonsai. They bloom through most of the summer season. I am growing out one which has quite a straight(long internode) growth habit with narrow branch angles, which may be common to all of them.

Pavonia praemorsa (From Meehans Miniature) is a tropical that has small (1") hibiscus like flowers, and remains quite lush even when grown in poor conditions indoors, and may be a good alternative for bonsai despite the tropical requirements .