A Golden Age For Hibiscus Breeding In Hawaii. What About Fiji?
The early 1900s was an extraordinary golden age for Hibiscus breeding in Hawaii as documented in the 1913 United Stated Department of Agriculture Bulletin ‘Ornamental Hibiscus in Hawaii’ by E.V. Wilcox and V. S. Holt (download available here).
Earley Wilcox was deemed ‘Special Agent in Charge’ a title which sounds more appropriate for someone leading an espionage mission. During the first decade of the 20th Century prolific amateur Hibiscus breeders produced the first spectacular Hawaiian hibiscus in many colours (mainly pinks, but also red, white, orange, yellow and magenta). These hybridizers included Valentine Holt, Gerrit Wilder, C Montague Cooke, Grace Rice and Alonzo Gartley, many of whom were connected to politically powerful families and Polynesian royalty. They were able to work with five white-flowered native Hawaiian species, some perfumed, four native Hawaiian red-flowered species, and related Hibiscus introductions from throughout the tropical world to generate stunningly new hybrids.
Of particular importance in the hybrids were Mrs Hassinger/Ruby Rose (an undescribed Fijian species), coral hibiscus (H. schizopetalus) from East Africa and Cooper’s Hibiscus (H. cooperi) from the South Pacific, respectively contributing to at least 33, 29 and 8 of noteworthy early Hawaiian hybrids.
Many of the original Hawaiian hybrid names have now been lost or forgotten and replaced with other names, and thus obscuring their origins. Now a careful comparison of the morphology of early hybrids by Savurua coupled with DNA analysis from Dr Luca Braglia (Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology, National Research Council, Milano, Italy) is helping to determine their origins and parentage. In this post we wanted to highlight just three of these early Hawaiian hybrids which have at least one parent from Fiji/South Pacific.
1. CV Andersonii
A hybrid of Hibiscus cooperi (Copper leaf variant) and H. schizopetalus and bred by John Adams Kuakini Cummins (436:1) on O’ahu. Cummins was of noble descent, briefly the Hawaiian Minister of Foreign Affairs (1890-91) and considered ”the playmate of princes and the companion and entertainer of kings". Andersonii makes an excellent hedge with the brilliant scarlet flowers contrasting with the dark bronze foliage, and is widely grown in Fiji and Australia.
2. CV Cecilla
A hybrid of Hibiscus hannerae (Rice White) and Mrs Hassinger/ruby rose bred by Mrs Grace Ethel Rice (534 G.R.) on Kaua’i. Hibiscus CV Cecilla is known as Fiji Pink or Winter Show in Australia and has the finest foliage of any Hibiscus as well as lengthy floral display of large light pink flowers with a large star-patterned dark crimson centre.
3. CV Woodrow Wilson
A hybrid of Hibiscus cooperi and CV May Damon bred by V.S. Holt (112:1 VSH). Valentine Holt, assistant horticulturist in the USDA, was evidently a prodigious Hibiscus hybridizer generating about half of the 1000 early Hawaiian crosses. His Hibiscus CV Woodrow Wilson is named after USA President (from 1913-21) Thomas Woodrow Wilson. In Australia this cultivar is called Dawn or Dawn Apple (and also sometimes confused with CV Lillian Wilder/Apple Blossom). It is an extremely vigorous and hardy hibiscus, characteristic brown-margined broadly ovate leaves and in summer Woodrow Wilson plants are covered by large light pink flowers with red centre.
Fiji and South Pacific Hibiscus species and our early Fijian Hibiscus breeders have greatly contributed to the Hawaiian hibiscus breeding but this work has been little documented. This work has largely gone unrecognised as ever new ‘bigger and better’ Hibiscus varieties are developed in many countries including Australia, French Polynesia, USA and Taiwan (to mention but a few). Many spectacular new varieties of Hibiscus can be seen on the internet, including thriving Facebook pages and/or groups such as International Hibiscus Society, Red Stick Hibiscus Association and Republic of Hibiscus.
The history of Fijian Hibiscus breeding will be the subject of my next posting, and I would love to hear from you with any information on this subject. Also would like to hear from anyone in Hawaii has or knows the whereabouts of a plant the original Hibiscus known as ‘Beatrice’ – this is unlikely to be the yellow flowered hibiscus on IHS database.
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