Hibiscus Flower Colors: A Comprehensive Guide to Every Shade

You know and love hibiscus. But you might not know all the hibiscus flower colors that exist! Whether you’re looking for a deep red hardy hibiscus or a hot pink tropical hibiscus, you can probably find a variety that meets what you’re looking for. We’re going to introduce you to the different hibiscus flower colors and also provide a few varieties that you can further explore.

Common Hibiscus Flower Colors

When it comes time to pick out an exciting type of hibiscus for your garden, you can choose from a wide range of colors! These range from bright pink to muted orange to elegant white.

Each of these colors provides unique symbolism, and learning about the meaning behind the colors can help you connect with your plants.

One of the fun things about hibiscus is that they’re available in a variety of colors. Whether you want to bring red blooms or subtly peachy tones, you can find a hibiscus that will match your style.

Purple Hibiscus Flowers

Like many purple flowers, purple hibiscus flowers are tied to royalty, wisdom, and knowledge. Purple hibiscus flowers are pretty common, so it’s relatively easy to find them.

The majority of purple hibiscus are tropical hibiscus, but you can also find a few hardy types.

Hibiscus comes in a wide range of purple shades, including light lavender, bright violet, and deep plum. Here are some varieties to keep an eye out for.

• Marianne Charlton: double ruffled petals that feature deep gray-violet, light pink, and white edges; flowers are six inches and real showstoppers
• Mr. Ace: huge purple flowers with deep red centers
• Black Dragon: this variety isn’t black but rather a deep magenta that provides a dash of royalty to the garden
• Lavender Chiffon: single layers of light lavender petals with lacy centers; a hardy hibiscus
• Blueberry Smoothie: this hardy hibiscus has rich lilac petals that grow in ruffled layers

Yellow Hibiscus Flowers

Bright yellow hibiscus flowers add a pop of joy to any garden space! Unsurprisingly, yellow hibiscus flowers are tied to feelings of joy, friendship, and happiness.

While neon yellow hibiscus is common, you can also find more subdued yellow flowers. And don’t forget about flowers that blend yellow and colors such as red and pink.

The yellow hibiscus is especially beloved in Hawaii. That’s because one of these plants, Hibiscus brackenridgei, is the state flower.

If you want to add a yellow hibiscus to your home, look for these varieties.

• Ma’o hau hele: this species, Hibiscus brackenridgei, is endemic to Hawaii; the plants grow 10 to 30 feet tall and produce bright yellow flowers
• Butterball: a tropical hibiscus with bright yellow flowers that feature layers of ruffled petals
• Fort Myers: bright yellow petals coupled with yellow stigmas and stamens
• Hamabo: known as Hibiscus hamabo, this species is a hardy type native to East Asia
• Lemon Yellow: a tropical species known as Hibiscus calyphyllus that produces flowers that are three to four inches in diameter

Red Hibiscus Flowers

Red hibiscus flowers symbolize feelings of love, romance, and passion, which means they’re great gifts for occasions like anniversaries and Valentine’s Day. However, if you just love red, don’t hesitate to add one of these plants to your garden.

Red hibiscus flowers are also linked to the Hindu goddess Kali as well as the passing of time.

You can find both tropical and hardy red hibiscus, so make sure you pay attention to the species before adding one of these plants to your garden.

• Coral hibiscus: known by the scientific name Hibiscus schizopetalus, this hibiscus has hanging petals that resemble a dropping spider; it’s a tropical variety that can only overwinter in warm temperatures
• Cranberry hibiscus: not only does this tropical hibiscus has deep red flowers, but it also sports maroon foliage; look out for its scientific name Hibiscus acetosella
• Midnight Marvel: this is a hardy hibiscus with large red flowers and foliage that ranges from green to red to purple
• Cooperii: this tropical variety has bright red flowers with long stamens as well as attractive leaves that are a blend of green, white, pink, and red
• Swamp hibiscus: also known as the Texas Star, this hardy hibiscus thrives in swampy areas; its species name is Hibiscus coccineus

Pink Hibiscus Flowers

Pink hibiscus flowers are often tied to feelings of friendship and platonic forms of love.

You can find many pink types of both hardy and tropical hibiscus, including the following varieties.

• Raspberry Smoothie: a hardy hibiscus that features multiple layers of magenta petals
• Kona: a tropical variety that features delicate layers of light pink petals; the flowers are reminiscent of bows made from tissue paper
• Airbrush Effect: a hardy type with bright pink flowers that display subtle variations in darkness; flowers reach over eight inches in diameter
• Berry Awesome: deep pink flowers go well with the dark green foliage that sometimes appears to have a hint of maroon
• Luna Rose: this hardy hibiscus maxes out at about three feet tall and produces lots of large magenta flowers

Orange Hibiscus Flowers

Orange hibiscus flowers aren’t as common as red and pink types, but they’re still pretty easy to find.

Many say these orange flowers are linked to purity, vitality, and enlightenment. 

• Fiesta del Sol: this variety features light orange petals with touches of yellow; it also features hot pink veins and deep maroon centers
• El Capitolio Orange: a stunning orange hybrid with orange and red streaked petals and a long stamen with ruffled petals
• Apricot Brandy: this tropical orange hibiscus features layers of orange ruffled petals with a tinge of pink near their centers
• Pumpkin Pie: another tropical type that features extra large flowers that sport multiple shades of orange
• Orange Lagos: if you want a tropical hibiscus that produces neon orange flowers, Orange Lagos is a great choice

Blue Hibiscus Flowers

While no hibiscus is truly blue, many people classify cool purple flowers as blue. These hibiscus flower colors are few and difficult to find, so you may have to do some searching before you locate them.

• Blue Satin: this hardy hibiscus has blue-violet flowers that display red centers and white stamens
• Blue Chiffon: blue-violet flowers have large outer petals and frilly white interior petals

White Hibiscus Flowers

Like most types of white flowers, the white hibiscus is a symbol of purity and innocence.

While all-white hibiscus varieties may have the same flower color, you can find variations in the flower shape and size.

• White Chiffon: this hardy hibiscus has large white outer petals and small, ruffled interior petals
• Luna™ White: this variety has a classic Rose of Sharon look, white large white petals coupled with a red center
• French Vanilla: large white flowers coupled with small, dark pink interiors
• Hawaiian White Hibiscus: native to Hawaii, Hibiscus arnottianus, has elongated petals that curl downward and a long, dark pink stamen
• White Pillar: a hardy hibiscus with all white flowers and white stamens

Multi-Colored Hibiscus Flowers

Hibiscus plant breeding efforts have given way to all sorts of new varieties, including those with multi-colored flowers. Some of these hibiscus feature two-toned blooms, while others pack a handful of colors into a single flower.

• Indigo Sunset: curved purple petals with pink edges create a slightly psychedelic appearance
• White Hot: during the cooler months, ‘White Hot’ displays red flowers with yellow streaks; when the weather warms, the flowers display larger amounts of yellow and orange
• Midnight Trist: a tropical hibiscus with a dazzling display of light pink, deep lavender, and bright red
• Night Runner: this variety seems to have almost every color—yellow, orange, lavender, magenta, and white
• Imperial Dragon: large flowers have petals that transition from orange to red to deep purple

The Science Behind Hibiscus Flower Colors

Flower color is mainly a product of genetics, and plant breeders are continuously working to develop new hibiscus varieties. The actual colors that flowers display are a product of the compounds within the plant, including anthocyanins and carotenoids.

The environment can also impact the flower color, and some varieties may experience changes in flower color based on temperature or sun exposure.

Wrapping Up

While you can’t find hibiscus in every color, you can surely find a wide variation in flower color. Since genetics play the largest role in flower color, make sure to pay attention to species and variety names when you select your next hibiscus flower colors.

For more, see our in-depth guide to the best companion plants for hibiscus.