Hibiscus syriacus ‘ORSTHIB5x1’
Hibiscus syriacus ‘ORSTHIB5x1’ Petite Pink Flamingo™ in flower at UC Davis in August 2022. Photo: SK Reid.
Summary
South Coast Research & Extension Center (South Coast REC/SCREC) is located in Irvine California, this site has a sandy loam soil and plants are irrigated with reclaimed water. UC Davis is located in Davis, California, this site has a silty clay loam soil and plants are irrigated with potable water. More information about the field sites is located in the Nuts & Bolts section.
Petite Pink Flamingo is a new Hibiscus syriacus cultivar with a compact habit. Petite Pink Flamingo has green ovate leaves, with slightly lobed margins, occasionally with one or two deeper lobes resulting in a semi-bilobate or trilobate appearance. The symmetrical flowers on Petite Pink Flamingo are deep pink with contrasting dark magenta coloration at the base of the staminal column. In two years’ time, plants developed a vase-like shape without requiring pruning. At both sites plants were grown from cuttings received in Fall 2020, grown in #1 sized containers, and planted in spring 2021. Plants may have been larger and more vigorous if provided additional time to bulk up in a container before planting in the field. Petite Pink Flamingo was evaluated at UC Davis and South Coast REC (SCREC) with site specific performance details and recommendations below.
UC Davis Trial – Davis, CA
Foliage emerged in early spring, briefly developing a pale chartreuse/yellow coloration before turning green as temperatures warmed. No pruning was implemented, yet plants uniformly developed a multi-branched, vase-like shape. Petite Pink Flamingo flowered from August to September, though a few individuals started blooming in July and some persisted into October. Flowers tended to be nestled inside of the plant, sometimes being partially obscured by foliage, rather than held above the foliage. Well-rooted but small #1-sized plants were installed in spring 2021 for inclusion in the 2022 trial. There was no statistical difference between the treatments and as a result we would recommend Petite Pink Flamingo be irrigated on Low water in WUCOLS Region 2.
South Coast REC Trial – Irvine, CA
Bright green foliage emerged in the spring, though interveinal chlorosis was observed on most leaves. In summer, flowers emerged at the branch tips starting in June, peaking in July, and ending in August. As the season progressed leaves dropped from the bottom of the plant stems, resulting in a bare base. At the end of the season chlorosis was again observed, with most of the leaves either turning yellow or presenting yellow veins. During the trial plants were affected by rabbit herbivory, which was more of a concern on this more compact cultivar than the other, larger, Hibiscus syriacus cultivars included in the trial. Based on our results, we recommend irrigating Petite Pink Flamingo on Low water in WUCOLS Region 3.
Basic Info
| Submitted by: | Climate Ready Landscape Plants Team |
| Site(s): | UC Davis & SCREC |
| Trial Exposure: | Sun |
| Year evaluated: | 2022 |
| Height & Width after 2 years: | 1.25-1.6' x 2.6-2.9' - UC Davis 1.3-1.9’ x 2.8-3’ - SCREC |
| Reported Height & Width at maturity: | 3' x 2' |
| WUCOLS plant type: | S |
| Water Needs & WUCOLS Region: | Low - Region 2 |
Mean Overall Appearance rating: (1-5 Scale, 5 is highest) | 2.9 - UCD 3.2 - SCREC |
| Flowering Months: | July-Oct. - UCD June-Sept. - SCREC |
Growth and Quality Data
Click Here for Complete Data Set - Davis
Click Here for Complete Data Set - SCREC