Flower of an Hour is a beautiful sun-loving Flower. It gets an interesting name due to its short bloom time. Every day it blooms only for a couple of hours in full bright sun. And, Yes you won’t find any blooms during a cloudy day. Today we will discuss how to grow Flower of an Hour. You can grow it from seeds and it’s pretty easy to maintain.
Flower of an hour is a perennial hibiscus plant. It belongs to the Mallow family- Malvaceae. The Botanical name of Flower of an hour is “Hibiscus trionum”.
It can grow up to 1 foot high and can sprawl to the same width. Its short height makes it ideal for container gardening. The stems are soft round and hairy green. It forms green conical buds at the intersection of leaf nodes. These buds bloom into beautiful white flowers with dark red or maroon cores. The yellow pollen sacks make it a treat for the eyes. The flower contains 5 petals arranged in spiral order. These petals are fused to the bottom that forms the seedpods.
It is a self-seeding plant. This means you need not sow the seeds every year. Each flower can produce 100s of seed that drops on the soil. These seeds will germinate and keep your garden full every year. Hibiscus trionum is a perennial plant that comes back each year even if you cut the bush back to the ground. So if you like this plant then join us in today’s topic.
Check out my previous post: When to Plant Tomatoes Indoor & Outdoor?
Flower of an Hour Info
- Common Name: Flower of an Hour
- Botanical Name: Hibiscus Trionum
- Plant Family: Malvaceae (Mallow family)
- Plant height: 1 foot high and 1 to 2-feet wide. Though it produces branches occasionally.
- Plant Type: Herbaceous Plant
- Structure: Soft cylinder round stems with tiny green hairs. This plant bears 3 lobbed leaves that can range from 2 to 3 inches in length and breadth. Sometimes this plant may have a few blunt thorns or teeth-like structures on the leaf stems.
- Flower: It blooms 2 or a 3-inch wide white flower with a dark maroon core. The flowers usually contain mild fragrances that attract honeybees. Each flower of Hibiscus Trionum contains 5 petals arranged in spiral order.
- Growing Location: Perennial in USDA zone 7 and above. Though it can be grown as annuals in cooler Agricultural zones.
- Soil Requirement: The flower of an hour needs moist nutritious soil with good drainage. Soft healthy low ph soil is best to grow Hibiscus Trionum.
- Water Requirements: Regular watering is essential for this plant to bloom continuously. Although it can sustain excess water for a couple of days yet never keep the soil damp. Overwatering can kill the plant in a week or so.
- Nutrition: It will need sufficient nutrition to keep blooming throughout the season. So either feed it with chemical phosphates and potassium composites or use NPK: 5:10:10 once in 20 days. Also, amend the soil with 2 to 4 inches of organic compost, this will keep it healthy and nourishing.
- Sunlight: Flowers of an Hour need a lot of sunlight. It will never bloom with direct bright sunlight. Allow the plant to receive at least 8 to 10 hours of direct sunlight.
- Pest Problems: Aphids, Mealybugs, and powdery mildew are common in Flower of an hour. Keep the plant clean and dry and well hydrated. You can also use Neem oil and soap spray or homemade garlic chili spray to deter bugs away from the plants. If the problem continues, simply remove the plant to save others from infestation.
Where to Grow Flower of an Hour?
Choose an open garden area where the plant can get abundant sunlight. If you are planning to grow a Flower for an hour in a container then place it in full sun. Place it near an Eastside window for direct morning light. Once the plant gainer its optimum 1 feet high, put it on a terrace or balcony where it can receive 8 to 10 hours of direct sun.
It is always better to make a raised flower bed for a flower of an hour. The extra height will save it from waterlogging. Also, it would be easier to move baby plants from loose raised bed soil to other locations. Trust me you will get a ton of these plants sprouting in your garden. You should be prepared if you don’t want the plant to occupy your entire garden.
Overall a warm humid garden area with an abundance of sunlight is ideal to grow Flower of an Hour or the Hibiscus Trionum.
You can easily grow these plants as perennials in USDA Agricultural zone 8,9,10, and 11. In zone 7 and below grow Hibiscus Trionum in containers to prevent winter damage.
Which soil is good for flower of an Hour?
A Flower of an Hour plant needs well-drained soft nutritious soil. The soil should be slightly acidic with a ph around 6.5 to 6.8.
Does it mean you have to do special preparation for soil? No definitely not. If you manage to keep the soil moist and the plant receives full sun. Then it will manage to grow successfully in rough sandy or even clay soil. It is versatile and quite adaptive to different soil types.
Though I always prefer healthy soil with 20 to 30% compost and 10 to 20% sand mix for these plants. A little bit of care can reward you with dozens of beautiful Flower of an Hour.
How to Maintain a perfect Compost soil ratio?
How much Sunlight is required for Hibiscus Trionum?
Flower of an Hour or Hibiscus Trionum requires direct sunlight for 8 or more hours every day. Proper sunlight is very important for bud formation and blooming.
Sunlight has special importance for flowers of an hour. Blooms of these flowers can open only for a few hours on bright sunny days. It will not open on a cloudy day even if it’s shade just for 2 or 3 hours. Therefore you should decide the location before planting the flower of an hour plant. Make sure it receives at least 8 hours of direct sunlight daily.
More light means better bloom quality for this plant. So keep it well lit even if you grow it indoors.
Water Requirements for Flower of an Hour
Add a minimum of 1-inch water per plant every week. The soil must stay moist and hydrating for the root structure. you can use a 1-liter water bottle for proper measurement. Deep watering is always helpful in this situation. As it will keep the soil moist and you won’t have to do frequent watering. Just wait for the top 1 to 2 inches of soil to dry up and repeat.
You must be careful with watering the Flower of an Hour plant. Overwatering and under watering both can cause serious damage. Although your plant won’t die in a couple of days of unbalanced watering, it may stop blooming.
Drooping and yellowing of leaves is a clear indication of improper watering. Dehydration and over hydration both can affect foliage growth. In worst cases either the plant will lose all of its leaves or it may die. Therefore make a proper schedule for watering your Flower of an hour plant. Keep in mind plant in a container requires more water than those in your garden.
Check out: How to Transplant and Grow Amaryllis Belladonna?
Can you grow Hibiscus Trionum in Container?
Yes, you can easily grow a Hibiscus Trionum plant in a container. It will require a 6 to 8-inch small pot or container. The small size of this plant made it compatible with container gardening.
Although you cannot grow it as an indoor plant. As it will require a lot of sunlight just to form buds.
The shallow fibrous root system of the Flower of an hour plant can easily adapt to containers of any size and shape. You can grow this beautiful flowering plant in an old milk carton or and food can. Just don’t forget to make a drainage hole at the bottom of the container.
Clean and wash the container, make a hole in the bottom, fill it with healthy soil and grow the Hibiscus Trionum plant in it.
How to Grow Hibiscus Trionum: Flower of an Hour?
Go get some Hibiscus Trionum seeds from Amazon and prepare them to grow. You can also look out for viable seeds in your local garden store. If you or your neighbor has some plants already growing in the garden then collect seeds from them. Help your neighbors and community members and they would love to share seeds with you. Trust me this can save you a lot of money. Why waste money if you can get it for free, so it’s worth giving try.
Now if you have the seeds the let’s Start.
- Turn and Rake the topsoil of the flower bed. Remove any weed or grass and let it dry for 2 to 3 days.
- Again rake and even the soil surface. Next, Damp the soil properly. Let it absorb enough water to moisten it to a 10-inch depth.
- Fill the containers with soil mix, amend it with sand and 30% compost. Finally, moisten the soil mix thoroughly.
- At last, sprinkle the seeds evenly over the damp soil surface. Put a fine layer of soil over it just to settle the seeds, no need t cover it completely.
- Put the container in bright sunlight and keep the soil mix moist. Maintain proper moisture and sunlight for 2 to 3 weeks.
- The seeds of a flower of an hour plant germinate within 10 days but it will take another 7 or 8 days for it to be visible on the surface.
- Once germinated keep the seedlings in partial to full sunlight. These seedlings will be ready to transplant in 25 to 40 days.
- Move the seedlings to their final growing location after 45 days of germination. From now on keep it warm, hydrated, and well-fed and you will be rewarded with lots of bloom within the next 2 months.
- Once the plant blooms, it will reseed on its own. You will not have to sow fresh seeds again next spring. The fallen seeds will germinate and grow into new hibiscus Trionum plants.
Interesting Facts:
The seeds of Hibiscus Trionum can stay alive for several years if not for decades in the soil. They will sprout once the soil condition and temperature are favorable for them.
Care for Flower of an hour
- Keep the plant clean and its foliage dry. Don’t splash water on the foliage or it may cause a fungal attack.
- Deadhead spent flowers to reduce seed formation. It will encourage the plant to produce lots of new blooms.
- Don’t overwater the flower of an hour plant. Overwatering can cause root rot and it can be fatal for the plant.
- Staking or support is generally not required for Hibiscus Trionum plants. Although it is better to plug some stick to hold these delicate in case you face the heavy wind.
- Put 2 to 3 inches of light organic Mulch around the plant base. The much will reduce excessive evaporation and keep the soil moist during hot summer days. Rice husk, straw, and cork clippings are best to mulch the Flower of an hour plant.
Also read: How to Grow and Care Ranunculus Flowers?
Common Problems and Solutions
The Flower of an Hour plant usually doesn’t have any serious pest problem. They are not very prone to pest or bug attacks. You will only find moths and bumblebees flying around the flowers. They are not harmful to the plant. These are the natural pollinators of Hibiscus Trionum plants. They help the plant to reproduce by pollination.
For your information: Pollination is a method by which a flower produces fruits and seeds.
Still, in some cases especially during cloudy humid, or rainy days, these plants can get some aphids. Aphids are tiny transparent greenish bugs that feed on plant sap. They stick to the lower side of leaves and soft stem and drink the plant sap. These bugs are usually not dangerous for the plant. Although too much infestation can cause nutrition deficiency. This can lead to leaf curl and bud drop.
Similarly, mealybugs and powdery mildews are also tiny insects that feed on plant sap. They look white and sticky. These bugs are more harmful than aphids. They can stop new bud formation and spread viral infection. The plant will look curled and shrank on the tips.
They are not very easy to cure if the infestation is severe. Otherwise, you can use neem oil and soap spray from the initial stage of plant growth to keep them away. You can also use chili or garlic spray or bug traps to stop these bugs. The scent of capsaicin and garlic is distracting for the bugs. They don’t like it so they will try to stay away from your plants.
Either discard the plant or use strong chemical pesticides to cure the severe infestation. Spending money on costly pesticides is not very feasible for ordinary backyard gardeners unless you have that many resources.
Precaution is always better than cure, Every home or kitchen gardener must know this. For more details read this- Ranunculus Asiaticus: Common Pests and Diseases
Final Word
Share your thought and ideas on comments and Grow Flower of an Hour in your garden. This will add a new color to your landscape. Keep gardening and Keep reading!
