Hibiscus and Relatives - Australian Native Plants Society (Australia)

Hibiscus and Relatives

Hibiscus and its relatives belong to the large family Malvaceae which contains over 240 genera. It is a cosmopolitan family with most species being found in tropical areas. The family includes several species of economic importance, particularly cotton Gossypium species).

There are 68 genera, comprising about 760 species, which are native to Australia. The best known genus is Hibiscus which includes many well known garden plants based on exotic members of the genus. There are about 70 native species of Hibiscus as well as a number of naturalised, exotic species.

The Malvaceae also includes genera previously included in the now obsolete family Sterculeaceae. Common genera to be found in Australia include Abelmoschus, Alyogyne, Brachychiton, Gossypium, Hibiscus and Thomasia.

Hibiscus Study Group

The Hibiscus Study Group was set up with the aim of studying the cultivation and propagation of Australian Hibiscus species so that more of these beautiful plants could be seen in gardens. Although this Study Group is now closed, during its period of operation the Group produced a series of informative newsletters documenting reports from members into cultivation issues, propagation methods, natural occurrences of different species and taxonomy.

Further information, including access to the Group’s newsletter archive, can be found at the link below.

[ Study Group Information ]