Dutch Italo Hibiscus Working Group add Bilbao and Palermo to their Sunny Cities portfolio

The Dutch Italo Hibiscus Working Group, a consortium of Dutch based Hibiscus growers Peeters Potplanten, Koolhaas Kwekerijen, Kwekerij Groenhof, Hibiscus grower Keicher from Latina (in the greater Rome area) and plant breeding company Agriom, has launched Bilbao and Palermo as the latest varieties in their Hibiscus Sunny Cities series, known for their spectacular blooms and their ability to thrive in a Mediterranean climate.

The well-branched Bilbao boasts soft white petals with a subtle touch of pale pink and a fresh centre in vivid red that nicely contrast with its dark foliage. Bilbao produces masses of long lasting blooms and makes a perfect potplant to grow under the Mediterranean sun.

Plants are grown in 14 cm pots with one cutting per pot. Bilbao produces sufficient branches for small pots after one round of pinching. For cultivation in potsizes 19 or 23 cm a second round of pinching is recommended.

Palermo has bright pink flowers with a soft toned flower heart and dark green foliage. The plant branches well and stands out for its high bud count per branch. The Working Group describes the plant’s  shelf life as excellent. Like Bilbao Palermo performs very well under South-European climate conditions.

Palermo is grown in a 14 cm pot, placing one cutting per pot. For bigger pots like 19 or 23 cm a second round of pinching will do the job.

Sunny Cities is a brand from the Hibiscus Working Group focused on breeding Hibiscus varieties that perform well in Southern Europe. Well-know Sunny Cities varieties include Amalfi, Verona, Lucca, Sabaudia, and Sorrento.

Bilbao and Palermo will be commercially available in 2024.

For more information please visit www.hibiscus-sunnycities.nl/en and www.agriom.nl