What Is a Red Maple Leafed Hibiscus?

Characteristics

• Hibiscus acetosella’s common name, African rose mallow, hints at its native origins. It commonly grows as a perennial shrub along roadsides in Angola, but in your garden, this plant is anything but commonplace. It grows as a perennial in USDA zone 8 and southward, and as an annual in cooler climates, where it may grow 10 feet in a single season. The flowers are smaller than those of other hibiscus species, growing only 2 inches wide. Because they are typically the same color as the foliage, in shades of red and purple, they tend to fade into the plant while its standout feature -- the leaves -- take center stage.

Leaves

• African rose mallow leaves are palmate, which means they are hand-shaped, and they are dissected, which means they are cut between the fingers, or lobes, instead of having an overall rounded or smooth shape. Each leaf looks more like a human hand wearing a glove instead of a mitten. This similarity to many Japanese maple cultivars gives red-leafed hibiscus another of its common names -- the red maple-leafed hibiscus. The leaves are approximately the size of a child’s hand, and may be different shades of red, including burgundy, maroon, purple and true red.

Cultivars

• Red-leafed hibiscus cultivars come in a variety of leaf colors and shapes, although most leaves typically have five lobes. The degree of lobe dissection depends on the cultivar. The most common cultivar is “Red Shield,” which has burgundy-red foliage. “Panama Red” has vivid red leaves, and “Maple Sugar” has dark burgundy leaves. “Haight Ashbury” is named after the San Francisco area because its leaves are a psychedelic blend of different shades of red, including copper, burgundy and pink.

Care

• African rose mallow performs best when you plant it in well-draining soil where it receives at least six hours of sun each day. Even though established plants are drought-tolerant, they flourish in evenly moist soil, which promotes thicker growth and more vibrant foliage. If allowed to grow naturally, African rose mallow has one central stem, but if you prune it lightly a couple of times, the shrub is rounder and thicker. If you live outside its hardiness range, you can grow it as a potted plant indoors during the winter and set it outside after the weather warms in spring.