While most people are familiar only with the traditional annual, the Cajun hibiscus comes in many varieties. They were a retirement project of Bobby Dupont after he witnessed a showing of the traditional annuals in Baton Route. He decided to create his own hybridized version.
He actually joined a society of people who plant these giant flowers, and began making plans to cross species of many various varieties. There are some which were bred for size, such as the Bold n Sassy variety which can be up to a foot from petal to petal. For the most part, he bred them for color.
These original creations were made through grafting the various species together. At this point, they are focused primarily on the bush itself, and how the plant grows. All of their plants are now started from roots rather than grafts.
While the Duponts are not actually Arcadian, he named his hybrids after the region where they were created. At first no one was interested in them, but in 1998 retailers could not get enough of them. By 2000 he had created a name for them and had it copyrighted.
A monk at Loyola University in New Orleans shares the Dupont obsession with these flowers. He began assisting the Duponts with creating hybrids, and he has created a tropical paradise at the university. He now starts the roots for the Dupont Nursery on the science building rooftop, and gives the baby plants to the nursery when they are ready.
A beautiful cajun hibiscus is now available, made possible by a man in retirement. What was once strictly an annual, can now be grown as a perennial in many planting zones. These flowers are a favorite among gardeners all over the country, and are especially noteworthy as a plant to attract hummingbirds and butterflies.
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