hibiscus

noun hi·bis·cus \ hī-ˈbi-skəs , hə- \

|Updated on: 10 Jun 2018

Definition of hibiscus

: any of a large genus (Hibiscus) of herbs, shrubs, or small trees of the mallow family with large showy flowers and usually dentate leaves

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Recent Examples of hibiscus from the Web

If this is the case, your hibiscus is home to aphids, juice sucking insects that can reduce plant vigor and cause flower buds to drop.

— tom maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Secrets to sunflower success," 2 June 2018
In Hawaii, O’Keeffe painted hibiscus flowers, papayas, volcanic cliffs and waterfalls.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "See Georgia O’Keeffe’s Little-Known Hawaii Paintings Blossom Next to Real Plants," 30 May 2018
The resulting saison, which will debut at Union Transfer, is brewed with elements of roses, hibiscus, cacao, and strawberry.

— dan deluca, Philly.com, "How Wilco guitarist Nels Cline remade his 'Lovers' especially for Philadelphia," 25 May 2018
While keeping non-native plants in the garden intact, the group added such native plants as clasping coneflowers, Texas red star hibiscus, blue-eyed grass and Louisiana irises.

— kendra parks, NOLA.com, "Master gardeners celebrate the tricentennial and bring native plants back to New Orleans," 24 May 2018
The Turn-of-the-Millenium Pick Dsquared2 hibiscus rocker shirt No one excels at making tacky stuff feel irrefutably hip, relevant and wearable quite like Dsquared2.

— yang-yi goh, GQ, "The Best Camp Shirts Make Every Day Feel Like a Vacation," 15 May 2018
There's palm print for the boys and a yellow and pink hibiscus pattern for the ladies of the family.

— lyndsey matthews, Country Living, "Target Is Selling the Cutest Matching Family Outfits Right Now," 9 May 2018
Try the Tiger Lily, a refreshing, tropical fusion of Zacapa 23 rum, hibiscus, passion fruit, ginger beer and lime juice that’s part of a new cocktail and food menu that launched in spring 2018.

— paul rubio, Condé Nast Traveler, "The 10 Best Rooftop Bars in the U.S.," 27 Apr. 2018
Whereas Vida burns hot and sweet, San Luis Del Rio is subtle and smooth, featuring a mineral top note and a citrus lilt deeper in the finish that winds its way through the floral acidity of hibiscus tea and the tang of lime peel.

— michael nagrant, RedEye Chicago, "Worth a trip: Mezcal old fashioned from Vol. 39," 20 Dec. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hibiscus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

There are about 250 species of shrubs, trees, and herbaceous plants in the genus Hibiscus, which belongs to the mallow family. They are native to warm temperate and tropical regions. Several are cultivated as ornamentals for their showy flowers. The tropical Chinese or Hawaiian hibiscus, which is also called China rose, has large, somewhat bell-shaped reddish blossoms. The East African hibiscus, a drooping shrub, is often grown in hanging baskets indoors.