Hibiscus mutabilis ‘Versicolor’ ("Suifuyo")

Japanese name: スイフヨウ （酔芙蓉）
Scientific name: Hibiscus mutabilis ‘Versicolor’

[Overview]
An evergreen shrub 2–5 m tall that loses its leaves in cold regions.
It branches well and forms a rounded shape.
The leaves are simple and alternate, 10–15 cm long, palmate with 5–7 lobes (usually 3 shallow lobes).
The leaf margins are slightly toothed and densely hairy.
The leaf stalks are long.
The flowers are borne singly in the leaf axils; they are white in the morning, turn pink in the afternoon, and become crimson by evening.
They are double-flowered, though some are single-flowered.
The staminal column does not protrude beyond the flower.
The calyx lobes are longer than the tube and have nectaries.
The flower stalk is 3–8 cm.
Each flower opens in the morning and wilts by evening, lasting only one day.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings.
It prefers sunny soil that is well drained, retains water well and is rich in humus.
It is not very cold hardy, and overwintering outdoors is possible south of Kanto.
In cold regions, it loses its leaves or its branches die back.
Take care to protect it from cold wind and frost in winter.
Water when the soil surface has dried.
Apply compost around the base of the plant in winter, and apply slow-release fertilizer as additional fertilizer in early summer and autumn.
Prune in winter when the leaves have fallen.
In regions where the leaves fall in winter, it is good to cut it back hard to near the base and protect it from cold with mulch or similar.
Pests and diseases include aphids, spider mites, leaf rollers, longhorn beetles and scale insects.

[Notes]
The Japanese name compares the flowers, which gradually turn red, to a person turning red from drinking.

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