Shoe Flower - Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

Shoe Flower - Hibiscus rosa-sinensis , National flower of Malasia.

The Chinese hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, family Malvaceae is an evergreen shrub native to East Asia. It is also known as China rose and shoe flower. It is widely grown as an ornamental plant throughout the tropics and subtropics. The flowers are large, red, firm, but lack any scent. Numerous varieties, cultivars and hybrids are available, with flower colors ranging from white through yellow and orange to scarlet and shades of pink, with both single and double sets of petals. Despite their size and red hues attractive to hectar-feeding birds, they are not visited regularly by hummingbirds when grown in the Neotropics.

Generalist (like Sapphire-spangled Emerald, Amazilia lactea) or long-billed species (like Stripe-breasted Starthroat, Heliomaster squamosus) may occasionally be seen to visit it however. In the subtropical and temperate Americas, hummingbirds are attracted to them on a regular basis.