Super sunlover goes fluffy double

As many people know, double flowers last longer - and since the arrival of the first in the Chiffon Series of hibiscus more than twenty years ago, this longevity of individual blooms has been combined with a lengthy flowering season (from July to October) on relatively upright shrubs.

Magenta Chiffon (‘Rwoods5’) matches Lavender Chiffon in the denseness of its doubling – it really is fully double, not semi-double – with broad, prettily veined petals that become smaller towards the centre, creating a flat but fully double flower.

And don't be afraid of the word “magenta”. I know, magenta can be a fierce and uncompromising shade but Magenta Chiffon is more of a reddish-pink shade with purple overtones and all enhanced by those pale veins.
 

Decades in the making

Magenta Chiffon is the fifth of the series that began with Lavender Chiffon and the semi-double White Chiffon. It was developed near King’s Lynn by Dr Roderick Woods, a retired teacher of medical and veterinary students and a researcher into human physiology.

He has been developing hibiscus since 1981 and the discovery of some pink-flowered plants in old gardens in the foothills of the Pyrenees set him on his path. He’s now raised almost 10,000 seedlings in his quest for a better hibiscus; Magenta Chiffon is his latest introduction.

You can buy Hibiscus syriacus Magenta Chiffon (‘Rwoods5’) from these RHS Plant Finder nurseries. - or seemore information on others in the Chiffon Series.
 

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* Please note: the contents of this blog reflect the views of its author, which are not necessarily those of the RHS