Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Tiny Tina'

 Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Tiny Tina'

Tiny Tina has been annoying the hell out of me for months. The buds were forming and not opening or dropping off before opening, and then I discovered what she was waiting for; a warm day, 90% humidity, with light drizzle to showery conditions. In actual fact she was responding to the conditions of her place of origin namely Malaysia. The cerise pink flowers and dense foliage that resembles a cut-leaf birch add up to what is really a hedging plant of great versatility. It can be kept as a low hedge or border plant to a metre or allowed to grow taller to 2.5 metres.

 It makes a perfectly good standard as pictured here or can be trained as a bonsai, more of a kind of cheat's bonsai as the flowers are already miniature and the growth is rapid. 

 Hibiscus flowers of Malaysia with 'Tiny Tina' top right

photo : Shail Mohan

Hibiscus is the national flower of Malaysia and has been since 1960. It is known as bunga raya.

Hibiscus Fountain

Perdana Botanical Garden

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia