Hibiscus: Hibiscus HEEEELLLP !, 1 by Gitagal

Gitagal wrote:
While we are on this topic of Hibiscus----I have a mystery.

Summer of 2014, I bought a beautiful Hibiscus with dark green, thick leaves at my
Home Depot.. I work there. I KNOW gardening! Not doing anything stupid with it...

In a few weeks--it started blooming. A wonderful, double/triple pink blooms.
After I conquered my battles with Whiteflies on it, it bloomed the rest of the summer.
Just gorgeous! Strong! Thick, slightly wavy dark green leaves.

Come fall, I took it down to my cool, semi-dark basement for the winter as is.
It did OK. Even kept some of the leaves on it. Lived through it OK.

In spring of 2015--I brought it out and cut the stems back to about 12\"--minding the nodes. As it started growing new leaves--they were totally different that the
Hibiscus leaves it had. They looked more like not-so-toothed maple leaves.
I let them be and grow--and they did--but the leaves never changed.
I had this healthy, green plant with alien leaves on it. Took lots of pictures
and posted them all over--even sent them to FL where they come from.

I never got a reasonable reply. Some people thought I had a \"stock plant\"--
but I never cut that low to get near the roots.
Now they are, once again in my basement--putting out the same odd leaves.

By now I am curious. The leaves are already growing all over the plant.
I am going to let it grow and see if anything changes this coming summer.
If not--I will toss it--and be out $20.

Anyone have a brilliant idea of what is going on??? Thanks, Gita

1--Hibiscus blooming the summer I bought it. Just beautiful!

2--Close-up of the blooms

3--Hibiscus cut back after being in my basement dormancy--May 2015.

4--This is the kind of leaves it grew out the following year (2015).

5--Here is a close-up of the mystery leaves.