Murasaki Momoko

~For my birthday a few months ago, my coworkers gifted me with a couple of plants for my apartment. One of them was a hibiscus, which I named "Murasaki Momoko" (literally: purple pink one). I named her such because I didn't know whether the blooms would be pink or purple.

Caring for Murasaki has been difficult. She's like a high-maintenance girlfriend, always demanding more: more water, more plant food, more sunlight, more attention. Several blooms appeared but dropped off because I wasn't doing something right (or maybe she was just being fussy). Finally, after months of work, my patience paid off as Murasaki opened her lovely flowers:

^ Pink it is, then. The flowers are lovely, aren't they? Here's a closeup:

^ Although the flowers are visually striking, they have no scent that I can detect. I found out that this is quite normal, as most hibiscus species have little or no scent. Instead, they rely on colorful flowers to attract insects.

^ There are different species of hibiscus, and each species has many different varieties and hybrids created each year by hibiscus-growers. Some of the varieties have fantastic names like "High Voltage", "Magician's Hat", "Handsome Stranger", "Rum Runner", "Fifth Dimension", and "Gator Magic".

I'm sure Murasaki Momoko is a tropical hibiscus, but I'm not sure what variety she is. Does anyone care to guess?

^ A closeup of one flower's staminal column, with yellow stamens halfway up and red stigmas at the very top of the column. This arrangement is particular to the hibiscus, making it one of the easiest plants in the world to identify.

I find it very satisfying to grow plants (note to Dad: by "plants" I don't mean "lawn grass"). Maybe I'll set up a garden or small greenhouse when I get back to America. For now, I've purchased some smaller plant pots and seeds for different flowers, and also mint, strawberries, and miniature tomatoes. I already have a basil plant that is doing quite well (his name is Sir Basil):

^ I think I'll eat some of Sir Basil soon on tomato sauce with a pasta dinner! I think there's something very satisfying about eating plants that you've grown all by yourself. Besides, the more carbon we're able to sequester, the better.

By the way, the large, colorful flowers of a hibiscus can attract many hummingbirds and butterflies, so maybe I'll see some wildlife. I'll be sure to keep you posted. ~Oyasumi!