Not a fruit but. I just fell in love with this plant the first time I saw it and bought like 10 lol. I planted them all over my yard. They just give me that tropical feeling with all the bananas,cherimoyas,sugar apples. One question what is the easiest way to propragate them.

David I also grow Hibiscus. They are certainly great flowers. Hibiscus can be grown from seed planted inside in early spring, For propagating special varieties, take either hardwood or softwood cuttings, The roots can also be divided. Pruning the branches back promotes a higher level of flowering. - Millet (606-)

They are not cold tolerant at all! A temperature below 32F will kill them.
You can only grow this in the tropics.

I am certainly close to tropics weather here except for the last year. Do they all set seeds millet? Also on cuttings either or work well the gree. Wood and hard wood? Any rooting powder or gel? I would probably air layer some right now in case I lose any this winter? You think air layer would fair good? I hate tending to cuttings. I like air layer because you set it and forget it.

A hibiscus for more temperate climates, and also very pretty, is Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus). They are deciduous, and thrive here in PA in zone 6 without protection. The flower is not as large as its tropical cousin, but looks otherwise identical in shape. I have several in my yard, and a few of the tropical ones in containers that overwinter in my attic. The more cold hardy version are mostly propagated by root division or softwood cuttings, as Millet said. I planted three 2-3 inch volunteers last spring that had come up from my mother's bush that I had given her years ago, and they are now about 24 inches. They will not likely flower this year, but should next year.

Barbara

The flowers of the tropical hibiscus are edible. You can also air layer larger pieces too. Mine did not loose but a few leaves, and we got 31 here if it stayed there for several days than they would deffenatley die back to the roots and might not come back, but if it was grafted one than you would loose the grafted plant you wanted than it might come back from the rootstock. As for seed tropical hibiscus can set seed some varietys are sterille I donot have any lists of total sterile, male sterile and female sterile . I have never figured out when the best time to cross pollinate is they have set seeds at just about every time of the year for me so far out of probably 50 or so I have planted nothing special has come out of it some that look the same as other varietys but going for something different. Thats why they plant a whole bunch of seeds and if you are doing it for the fun of it thats what I do it can be fun if you are planning on getting that special hybrid good luck its allot of trial and error and you have to be overly critical of the plants. I have my first visable hybrid I crossed a yellow and a pink and the flower is redish orange but the bush qualities leave soemthing to be desired I will keep it but dought I ever propagate it I have not tried to breed it yet to see if it is sterlie. again good luck

Pruning consists of shortening the side shoots by two thirds in the spring.
Most growers preform an annual pruning every spring. Propagation is by inserting cuttings 3 inches long in sand and peat moss in March and April in a propagating case in the hothouse which are kept there until roots are formed. The cuttings are potted separately in 3-inch pots and later, in larger pots. The young plants (grown from the cuttings) main shoots are pinched when the young plants are 6 inches in height, and the side branches are similarly treated to insure that the plant becomes bushy. A annual spring pruning produces a busher plant with many more flowers about a month after pruning. . - Millet (604-)

We have a long growing season so I think I'll prune it some and hope for many flowers. Thanks!

Charles,I'm sure you have noticed that hibiscus that are not pruned soon grow out to be quite leggy in appearance, and the flower count diminishes. - Millet (604-)

If I am not mistaken aggie horticulture has a variety that is not sub tropical. It may freeze back, but will come back from the roots in spring and some get up to dinner plate size flowers, 12 inches.

here is the link I have never grown them so take it for what it cost.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/cemap/hibiscusmoy/hibiscusp.html

A good sub tropical Hibiscus is the Hibiscus moscheutos, which is hardy to zone 5!!

I have one in my front yard that gets big red dinner plate size flowers. IT dies to the ground in the Winter, but by late summer next year it is 5 feet tall and covered with flowers.