Flower of an Hour

Did you know

• Each flower truly lasts only a few hours, opening in the morning and wilting by midday, hence its evocative common name.
• The papery, inflated seed pods are translucent and look like miniature Japanese lanterns, persisting long after petals drop.
• The dark purple-black center of the flower creates a dramatic bulls-eye pattern that guides pollinators to the nectar.
• Despite being a hibiscus, it is a small, modest annual rather than the large tropical shrub most people associate with the genus.
• It has become a widespread weed in agricultural areas across North America and Australia, arriving as a contaminant in crop seed.

Color meanings

Uses

• ornamental garden annual
• fiber extraction
• traditional medicine in Africa