by hankinslawrenceimages | Mar 4, 2010 | Flowers, Malvaceae Family
Last summer I photographed several Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus Syriacus) flowers. Rose of Sharon are members of the Hibiscus genus and the Malvaceae family. Originally native to Asia, the Rose of Sharon are grown throughout much of the US. They are hardy from Zones 5B through 9A. In the summer, it produces large showy flowers on a shrub that grows to 8 to 10 feet tall. The US Forest Service has a wonderful PDF with information about growing Rose of Sharon plants.
One of the Rose of Sharon plants I photographed last summer was in the Cataloochee section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Adjacent to the Palmer House, this Rose of Sharon had flowers in multiple colors growing on the same plant.
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
I photographed a lovely purple Rose of Sharon at the North Carolina Arboreatum in Asheville. The flowers of the Marina Rose of Sharon were used in dye making.
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
And finally a wonderful white and red Helene Rose of Sharon photographed at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland.
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
by hankinslawrenceimages | Feb 28, 2010 | Flowers, Malvaceae Family
I don’t know about anyone else – but I’ve had enough of winter this year. I’m getting tired of the snow and gray skies. In case anyone else is ready for something bright and tropical, I decided to share a few of the hibiscus photos I’ve taken in the past few months.
I just love hibiscus flowers. The bright colors always remind me of summer.
Hibiscus are members of the Mallow family (Malvaceae family). They are an ornamental tropical plant native to East Asia. The sepals of Hibiscus sabdariffa are often used in herbal teas (Thanks to @rachidH on Twitter for the additional info). In the language of flowers, hibiscus flowers symbolize delicate beauty.
All of these flowers are hibiscus rosa -sinensis, which is not only the state flower of Hawaii, but also the national flower of Malaysia.
I love the bright orange color of the Caleb Hibiscus. There aren’t many flowers in this shade of orange.
Caleb Hibiscus (c) 2010 Patty Hankins
I’ve photographed the Jason Hibiscus several times before. Each time I see one, I just have to smile. I love the combination of yellow, red and soft pink in this flower.
Jason Hibiscus (c) 2010 Patty Hankins
Painted Lady Hibiscus are a wonderful shade of pink.
Painted Lady Hibiscus (c) 2009 Patty Hankins
The shape of the petals and the length of the pistil and stamens of the Snow Queen Hibiscus really caught my eye.
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
And finally a hibiscus that I haven’t been able to identify the variety. I love the shades of pink and shape of this flower. Does anyone happen to know what it is?
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
by hankinslawrenceimages | Nov 3, 2009 | Malvaceae Family, News
Night Fire Hibiscus (c) 2009 Patty Hankins
Night Fire Hibiscus is the November 2009 BeautifulFlowerPictures.com Photo of Month. When I spotted this hibiscus – with it’s amazing shades of purple and red – I knew I had to photograph it. This is my favorite photograph of the Night Fire Hibiscus – focusing on the wonderful colors, details and textures of the flower.
Until November 30 2009, SAVE 20% off the regular prices for Night Fire Hibiscus. The photograph is available in two sizes of gallery-wrapped canvases.
Save $ 20 on the 12X15″ Canvas – regular price $ 100 – November Photo of the Month Price – $ 80.00
Save $ $ 73 on the 20X26″ Canvas – regular price $ 365 – November Photo of the Month Price – $ 292.00
Free shipping to U.S. Addresses for either size photograph.
As with all photographs from BeautifulFlowerPictures.com, Night Fire Hibiscus comes with my Unconditional Happiness Guarantee. You have one year to decide that it is the perfect photograph for you. If it’s not, just return it (in original condition) for a full refund.
by hankinslawrenceimages | May 20, 2009 | Flowers, Malvaceae Family
A few months ago, I posted some photos of several hibiscus flowers I photographed over the winter. Recently, I’ve edited a few more photos of some spectacular hibicus flowers.
All of these photos were taken at Longwood Gardens.
First is the Fifth Dimension Hibiscus. The first time I photographed this flower, the petals were a striking silver and yellow.
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
On a more recent visit, the flowers on the Fifth Dimension Hibiscus plant were orange, pink and silver. Both versions of the Fifth Dimension Hibiscus are spectacular.
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
Another very striking hibiscus blossom was the Kiss and Tell Hibiscus. The deep red color of the petals on this flower is amazing.
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
And finally, the Erin Rachel Hibiscus, with petals of a slightly softer shade of pink and peach.
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
The hibiscus blossoms at Longwood Gardens are always spectacular. It seems that every time I visit, I discover another new gorgeous variety of this wonderful flower.
by hankinslawrenceimages | Jan 24, 2009 | Flowers, Malvaceae Family
As I’ve been exploring and photographing at local botanic gardens, I’ve spotted several wonderful hibiscus plants. They are all Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, a member of the Malvaceae family, an evergreen shrub native to East Asia.
The first Hibiscus I photographed was a Jason hibiscus. I’ve seen Jason hibiscuses in a few places now. Each time, I marvel at the combination of the reds, pinks and yellows in the flowers.
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
(c) 2008 Patty Hankins
The next hibiscus I photographed was a Sweet Violet hibiscus.
(c) 2008 Patty Hankins
The most recent one I’ve photographed is a Night Fire Hibiscus. The deep reds and purples in the flowers are incredible.
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
Night Fire Hibiscus (c) 2009 Patty Hankins
As I discover other Hibiscus cultivators I’m sure I’ll be photographing them and adding them to my Flickr photostream and posting them here on my blog.
In the meantime – please enjoy the wonderful flowers.
