Hibiscus: 1st Lord Baltimore bloom today - Happy 4th of July!, 1 by Michael_Ronayne

Michael_Ronayne wrote:
There is a saying which goes:

Once is happenstance.
Twice is coincidence.
Three times, it’s enemy action.

Well it looks like I have my third Hibiscus Lord Baltimore with six petals and six stigmas. This time I decided to pollinate the flower with pollen from a Hibiscus Moy Grande, with a five petal flower. If all goes well and Nutley NJ has another month of reasonable warm weather, I should have a picture of a six chambered seed pod by the end of October and perhaps even seeds. Three picture of the flower, the stigma and the pollinate stigma are attached. I am beginning to suspect that there may be a connection between Hibiscus Annie J. Hemming, which was patented by Ernest Hemming in 1947 and Hibiscus Lord Baltimore, which Robert H. Darby reported first bloomed in 1955. Ernest Hemming and Robert Darby lived only 50 miles from each other, as the crow flies, when they created their respective Hibiscus. I have noticed that many of the Hibiscus with extra petals are red and this may not be a coincidence.

Also attached are pictures of a Hibiscus Moy Grande flower with seven petals and six stigmas which I took on October 12, 2011, which was a cold rainy day. For now, would everyone be on the lookout for Hibiscus with extra petals?

Mike