Plant name: White hibiscus; in Hawaiian, aloalo or koki'o ke'oke'o
Botanical name:Hibiscus waimeae
Virtues: It's the only fragrant hibiscus. It blooms year-round.
Flowers: Large and sweetly fragrant, with prominent red stamens. They open white and fade to pink by day's end. Each flower lasts only one day.
Habit: In the wild, it's a 30-foot-tall tree. In Hawaiian gardens, it is often kept as a 4-foot rounded shrub.
Origin: Forests and mountains of Hawaii.
Cultivation: Grow in part to full sun. Tolerates dry spells as well as drenching rains once it is established. Prune it to keep a tidy shape. USDA Zones 14 to 15.
Image credit: Forest and Kim Starr
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