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Hibiscus

Hibiscus

2 5.5
A tropical plant with large, bright flowers often grown in gardens
  • noun
  • /hɪˈbɪskəs/
  • Specialized
: hibisco
  • The garden was filled with vibrant hibiscus flowers, attracting many butterflies.
  • hibiscus flower
  • Hibiscus tea
  • hibiscus bloom

Examples

  • Ladybugs crawled on glossy hibiscus leaves.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • I twirl the hibiscus stem in my fingers.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Somebody had stuck a white hibiscus in her hair.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • There were hibiscus flowers in her hair.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • When he woke, the day had moved and the hibiscus was as wide as his hand.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The woman was a small creature with black curls and a red hibiscus in her hair.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Outside his window, a rich red dust the color of sunburnt clay blooms like hibiscus around the bare feet of a young girl.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • My favorite teas are throat coat, chamomile, hibiscus, green tea, Earl Grey.

  • Behind her, by the picture window facing an inner courtyard, a Christmas tree, brilliant with thousands of tiny lights, was hung with hibiscus and frangipani blossoms.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • There was a smaller version of Trina's portrait in the red velvet dress sitting on his desk, along with a photograph of Giselle with a hibiscus tucked behind one ear, her face flushed with sun and mai tais, taken in Hawaii on their honeymoon.

    Fiction book (1999)

Compounds

1 8.5

A tropical shrub or small tree with large red flowers grown for decoration and often called the China rose

bush hibiscus
  • Australian
1 8.7

A small bush with purple flowers that grows in parts of Australia

A large bush or small tree with bright red flowers grown for gardens

Hibiscus syriacus
  • Specialized
1 7.5

A bush or small tree that loses its leaves and has large, showy bell-shaped flowers in many colors

Hibiscus sabdariffa
  • Specialized
1 8.2

A tropical plant with red edible flower parts used for tea and jam and for strong fiber

Hibiscus cannabinus
  • Specialized
1 8.9

A tall plant that people grow for its strong fiber used to make rope and cloth

Hibiscus moscheutos
  • Specialized
1 9.3

A large plant that lives for many years with big rose-colored flowers that grows in wet places like marshes

Hibiscus mutabilis
  • Specialized
1 9.2

A Chinese bush or small tree with pale flowers that turn deep red at night

Hibiscus esculentus
  • Specialized
1 6.5

A tall plant grown for its edible green pods called okra

Hibiscus elatus
  • Specialized
9.9

A tall forest tree from Cuba and Jamaica with orange flowers and strong wood used for furniture

Hibiscus tiliaceus
  • Specialized
9.9

A small tree that grows by tropical coasts with yellow flowers and strong fibers used for ropes

Hibiscus trionum
  • Specialized
9.9

An annual plant with yellow flowers and purple centers that often grows as a weed

9.9

A tree or shrub from Australia with sour leaves and large flowers

Hibiscus moschatus
  • Specialized
8.8

A bushy tropical plant from Asia with bright cup-shaped flowers in yellow, pink, or scarlet

A small plant with hanging, bell-shaped flowers that stay partly closed

How Showy

impala lily
  • South African
9.3
Hibiscus
  • Specialized
2 5.5
rhododendron
7 6.2
marigold
9 2.4
dandelion
21 1.0
fern
37 1.3
moss
50 1.0

Surface Forms

Hibiscus singular
Hibiscuses plural

Etymology

The word Hibiscus comes from the old Greek word hibiskos, which was used for a kind of 'mallow' plant. So Hibiscus names these plants because their large, soft, colorful flowers look like members of the 'mallow' family.