Chocolate Allamanda and Double Pink Hibiscus

In this article, i will present my fans the flowers of Chocolate Allamanda and Double Pink Hibiscus. Allamanda plant has many varieties including bush, creeper etc. The most common allamanda we see is the yellow single flowered allamanda vine. Although there is a yellow double petal allamanda vine as well but not very common. The bush varieties of allamanda come in two colors, or at least what i have seen. The first is Allamanda “Cherries Jubilee” or called the chocolate allamanda and also called pink allamanda. Second bush type allamanda is “peaches and cream” with yellow flower with red streaks.

This chocolate allamanda (Allamanda Cherries Jubilee) is cold sensitive and does not tolerate temperature below 0C and in Lahore it needs winter protection or a green house otherwise the plant will die. It is more cold sensitive than the other varieties of allamanda. It needs full sun for good flowering and flowers in pot too. Its leaves are thick and it is drought tolerant when established. Although a perennial, it is mostly used as annual. Its plants come into the nurseries in around March. It flowers off and on whole summer but most of the flowering is in fall around october. In winter, it goes dormant and comes back when temperature is warm in February and March.

Chocolate Allamanda

Another flower ideal for warm climates is hibiscus syriacus. With local name “Garhal” hibiscus flowers are nectar rich and attract butterflies and bees. Its common name is rose of sharon. The most common hibiscus is red single flowered named Hibiscus rosa-sinensis China rose is common in Lahore. There are some other varieties of hibiscus including blue hibiscus, pink double hibiscus etc. Hibiscus need a lot of potassium and dislike high doses of phosphorus so fertilizer should be adjusted according to that. It also flowers on new wood so pruning is mandatory after flowering and specially in winter. It flowers most of summers off and on. It is from Malva family and relative of hollyhock. It has medicinal uses too. A category of hibiscus called tropical hibiscus comes in side variety of color tones and ranges. Single flowered hibiscus plants are more tough than double flowered one.

Double Pink Hibiscus