Flower-of-an-hour
Hibiscus trionum
Summary 6
Hibiscus trionum, commonly called flower-of-an-hour, bladder hibiscus, bladder ketmia, bladder weed, modesty, puarangi, shoofly, and venice mallow, is a short-lived perennial or semi-seen annual plant that flowers for only one day a year. The flower has white or yellow petals with a brightly-colored center. It is considered a weed by some while being cultivated as a garden plant by others.
Botanical Information 7
Hibiscus trionum, commonly known as flower of an hour, is an annual flowering plant that blooms from June to October. It grows 1.5 to 2 feet tall and can be found in various types of soil. The flower is a white to pale yellow with dark centers. This plant earned its name “flower of an hour” because it only blooms for a few hours before wilting.
Ecological Information 8
Flower of an hour can be found in many Southern and Northern states, but its favorable habitats are in the north eastern states. It is pollinated primarily by bumblebees, though smaller bees and butterflies also visit this flower. Caterpillars, livestock, and rabbits also can feed on it but this plant seeds has very little use to birds. The presence of this plant in the city may be an indication that the site was an agricultural field at some point of time.
Ethnobotanical Information 8
References 8
Finley, Willa F., and Lashara J. Nieland. "Land of Enchantment Wildflowers: A Guide to the Plants of New Mexico." Native Plants Journal 15.3 (2014): 255-255.
Whitson, Tom D., et al. "Weeds of the West." Weeds of the West. (1991).
Cartron, Jean-Luc E., David C. Lightfoot, and Jane E. Mygatt. A field guide to the plants and animals of the Middle Rio Grande Bosque. UNM Press, 2008.
"Hibiscus trionum". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 2 January 2018.
About the Author 8
Student author(s)*: Jessica from Atrisco Heritage High School
*The entries in this field guide have been edited by Yerba Mansa Project staff to ensure that they contain quality, fact-checked content and standardized formatting.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Anita, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/61897811@N00/5024493431
- (c) Forest and Kim Starr, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/starr-environmental/24952812591/
- (c) Anita Gould, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.flickr.com/photos/anitagould/5025102392/
- (c) Tom Potterfield, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/tgpotterfield/14382803489/
- (c) Cerlin Ng, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/89906643@N06/19860194084/
- Adapted by caseynm from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
- Adapted by smiller33 from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibiscus_trionum
- (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
More Info
- iNat taxon page
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- eFloras.org
- Flora of North America (beta)
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
- Go Botany
- HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
- IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
- Jepson eFlora
- Maryland Biodiversity Project
- NatureServe Explorer 2.0
- NBN Atlas
- New Zealand Plant Conservation Network
- OregonFlora.org
- SEINet Symbiota portals
- Tropicos
- USDA PLANTS database
- VASCAN by Canadensys
- World Flora Online
