When should you plant the seeds from a Hibiscus Tree?

Question

I have a hibiscus tree and when the flower blooms fall off the seed pods that are left dry and become brown. Should I plant them now and keep the tree inside during the winter so it will grow enough to plant next summer? Or should I wait until after the frost next spring?

http://www.trop-hibiscus.com/hibseed.html

Mine is alot like the flower at the top of the page.

Answer 1

A tropical hibiscus tree (that is what i see in the picture) will die in the winter. They do not like to be below 45 degrees. if you planted them now you would definately have to bring in it for the winter and then maybe take it outside for some light in the spring and summer and then bring back in for winter again just the same as you would the plant you already have. You cannot leave a tropical outside unless you live in a very warm climate. On the other hand, you can get many perennial hibiscus such as southern belle which are very hardy and will get about4 to 5 ft tall. These look almost as pretty as the tropical but the leaves arent as waxy looking. You can easily propagate these by seeds now or in spring and leave right outside all the time.

Answer 2

Hibiscus "Tree"? Locally the Rose of Sharon grows as a tree, and seeds can be planted when ripe or saved until early spring after storing in the fridge over winter.
If you have a tropical Hibiscus trained as a topiary tree, forget seeds , just don't even bother..with seeds.

Definetly if it is a potted hibiscus, bring in for the winter and give it all the light possible, turn it 1/4 turn every day.

Answer 3

You would be better off looking around on the ground under the hibiscus. Many of the seeds that have fallen will grow into seedlings. If you dig out some of those you avoid the delay and risk of going with seeds because they are already started.

As the person above pointed out the ones that grow in a temperate climate are Rose of Sharon and grow there as a perennial bush up to about ten feet high. If you have just a tropical one it won't survive outdoors (although you could bring it in and get it to limp through the winter inside for bringing out next spring - I did that last winter).