Don't Be Taken In by Hybrid Hibiscus Seed Scams on eBay

I was on eBay this morning and remembered someone talking about all the cheap seeds you can get from China. First off, I don't know of anyone who has had luck with seeds from China, and I wouldn't order any. When I look at the reviews,
they are rarely good, mostly saying the seeds never arrived or wouldn't grow, which is no surprise.

Also, I know most of you know this already, but for the newbie gardeners who may be tempted, those gorgeous hybrid tropical hibiscus seeds are a scam. Those specialized hybrids won't come true from seed, and will probably not come up at all. Tropical hibiscus aren't easy to grow from seed unless you have specialized equipment or a greenhouse. Actually, they aren't easy to get seed from at all, unless you're a breeder, and I don't know of any tropical hibiscus breeders in China. They are so cheap, and I know it is sorely tempting, but please don't be fooled by them.

  
The only hibiscus that grow easily from seed are

Hardy Hibiscus

Hardy Hibiscus (H. Moscheutos aka Dinner plate, Luna, Frisbee, Lord Baltimore, Swamp hibiscus, etc.)

H. syriacus aka Althaea or Rose of Sharon

  

Perennial Hibiscus (Confederate rose (H. mutabilis), Cranberry hibiscus (H. acetosella), Roselle or Sorrel (H. sabdariffa aka FL Cranberry), Texas Star (H. coccineus), etc.

Confederate Rose

H. sabdariffa

There are some tropical hibiscus trees like Mahoe that grow from seed, but they won't grow up here in zone 9a, and they are extremely invasive in S. Florida. 

Tropical hibiscus are easily grown from cuttings, so get some from your friends and don't be fooled by online scammers.