Oh good, yes the poor boy has been battered around, from in the car ride home and from being tall and thin had falling over a couple of time and now being man handled into the ground and russled up to a stake.

That's it! Your new plant should be fine.

Jane

SMC - The damaged foliage doesn't look at all like mechanical injury (roughed up a little in handling). If yours is a recent transplant, prior to making the trip home with you it's likely the affected leaves were in a position/location where they were shaded. Once transplanted and exposed to direct sun, the plant probably absorbed more light energy than it could turn into chemical energy. When that occurs, molecules in specialized leaf tissues release what's called a oxygen free radical, which is EXACTLY the same O- radicle in hydrogen peroxide that bleaches hair and kills germs. The scientific name for what occurred is photo-oxidation, but we most commonly call it sunburn. It's a very common occurrence in fresh transplants that weren't previously acclimated to full sun, or in plants that were growing so close together some of their foliage was shaded by that of other plants.

The good news is, you already have branches forming in the axils (crotches) of the leaves exhibiting the sunburn, so you can snip them off if you don't want to look at the blemishes; or, if you leave them on the plant, they will continue to make food (plants make their own food during photosynthesis) until such time as they become an energy liability. At that point, chemical messengers will tell the plant it's time to shed the affected leaves.

Al

That is pretty cool. And I do think that is what is happening. Can't wait to show my son!

I just realized I should have qualified my reply above so what I said won't be misapplied. When I mentioned the new branches in axils of the blemished leaves and said you could "snip them off if you don't want to look at the blemishes", I meant you could snip off the blemished leaves, not the new branches. If you don't mind the appearance, from the plant's perspective it makes a lot of sense to leave the blemished leaves intact.

Are you familiar with how much fuller you can make your plant through regular pinching? It will make a very significant difference.

Al

I am not sure if I want to pinch it. I am not ready for a bushy Hibiscus. I disliked Hibiscus until recently bc all I think of is unruley bushy plants, but now that I have seen some really cool looking ones... Nothing like what I grew up seeing... I now have a new interest.

I got this one for 2 bucks so I figured if over time I did not like it I would not feel bad for chucking it, but I really love the look of the leaves, like I have a mini maple tree. But who know if she blooms maybe I will fall in love all over again and be dying for super bushy one!

OK - have fun. Best luck.

For reference, this is one of the trailing coleus collection that would normally have grown every which way had it not been selectively pinched.

Happy Halloween, all.

Al

I'm not sure what a trailing coleus has to do with a Hibiscus, but I think your plant will be fine. If it were my plant, I would leave the damaged leaves alone. They will fall off eventually.

If you don't want a bushy plant, let it grow as is. We are coming into the cooler weather, shorter days. I do not like to prune anything at this time.

Jane

Since I didn't have a hibiscus in a pot, I thought I'd use another plant to illustrate the effects of consciously pinching a plant in order to change its growth habit from long/lanky to tight/full/compact. The reaction in plants is the same from plant to plant, so it hardly matters what plant one uses for the illustration - whatever's handy works just fine.

Another 'pinched plant':

Al

I was looking at her today and I think she might have little flower buds starting... But maybe it is just new leaves.

Nope - they're new blooms forming. Enjoy!

Al

Not to hijack this thread, but more to keep info consolidated; Those who are growing this in Florida, what kind of sun exposure do you have it growing in?

Mine is in a spot that gets a lot of sun, but I just got her, she has not had to be there during July / August full sun.

I have not seen one open bigger than this... I am thinking this is not normal, or is normal for an unhappy plant.

The flowers are very short lived. That is a flower that has already opened and closed. You'll have a seed pod next. You have to keep a good eye out to see them open.

Wow! Already closed I would have never guessed that! With the days being shorter I hardly see my lovelies .. I can't wait to see her mid day!

Yay!