Hibiscus growers around Australia and the world, and how to register a new hibiscus you’ve bred.
The International Hibiscus Society
The International Hibiscus Society (IHS) is the worldwide authority, chartered by the International Society for Horticultural Science, for registering new hybrids of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. Our society uses the IHS for cultivar registration and as our reference database of hibiscus varieties.
Useful IHS resources:
- Cultivar search: look up a variety by name to see its photo, parents, breeder and description
- A–Z list of registered and non-registered cultivars
- Genealogy: trace a variety’s family tree
- Cultivars pending approval
Registering a new cultivar
If you’ve bred a new hibiscus worth keeping, registering it with the IHS gives it an official name, records its parentage and breeder, and makes sure no one else uses the same name. Registered names appear in the international database for growers everywhere.
How to register
- Check your name using the IHS cultivar search to make sure it isn’t already taken (see the naming rules below).
- Create an account on the IHS website, choosing the “Register Cultivars” option. You only need to do this once; next time you just log in.
- Log in and complete the registration form at Register Cultivars, as fully as you can: the seed and pollen parents, the bloom’s characteristics (size, form, colours) and plant details, with good photos of the bloom.
- Submit it. Your cultivar appears in the pending list until the IHS registrar approves it.
Naming rules
The IHS’s guide to naming cultivars follows the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants. In summary, a name must:
- not be likely to be confused, in spelling or pronunciation, with an existing cultivar
- have no more than 30 characters (not counting spaces), and be as short as practical
- start each word with a capital letter
- not boast about the flower’s merits (no “Best Ever” or “The Greatest”)
- only use a living person’s name with their permission
- avoid Latin words, and words such as “hybrid”, “cultivar”, “variety”, “selection”, “sport”, “series” or “improved”
- not be a single letter or number, or use fractions or symbols (only apostrophes, commas, hyphens, full stops and up to two separated exclamation marks are allowed)
Need a hand? Our experienced members are happy to help you photograph and describe your seedling and work through the registration. Bring it along to a meeting.
Other hibiscus societies in Australia
- The Hibiscus Society of WA Inc. (Western Australia, Facebook group)
- Hibiscus Society of Perth (Western Australia, Facebook group)
- Hibiscus Society of Adelaide (South Australia, Facebook group)
Know of another hibiscus group in Australia? Let us know and we’ll add it here.
Further afield
- International Hibiscus Society: cultivar registration, the international database, how-to articles and the Hibiscus International magazine
- American Hibiscus Society
- The World of Hibiscus: Wally Morgan’s long-running hibiscus information site, with growing, propagation and grafting guides
See also: Growing Hibiscus · Cultural Notes · Propagation & Grafting