What Is the Gumamela Plant?
Gumamela is a shrub that grows up to 12 feet tall with a 10-foot-wide spread.The Gumamela plant is also known as the Shoeflower, China rose or Hibiscus. It has moderate density, regarding the number of branches per plant, and typically lives for six to ten years.
The Gumamela plant has a multi-stem trunk structure, and each stem has medium thickness and hard texture. The leaves are simple, meaning that each petiole, or leaf stalk, bears a single leaf blade, or flower. Each leaf blade grows 4 to 8 inches in length.
The flowers of the Gumamela can have single or double structure. Double-structured flowers produce more petals than normal blossoms. Flowers are usually bell-shaped, a variety of colors, and approximately four inches wide. Each flower opens for 24 to 48 hours before wilting; however, the plants compensate by having a long blooming season.
The Gumamela bears a brown, oval-shaped fruit that is one-half inch long. It grows and flowers all year, but may suffer damage, or die back to the ground when grown in areas with light frosts. The roots are hardy, up to 25 degrees Fahrenheit. New shoots grow every spring, as long as the roots are not damaged.
