A hibiscus is a tropical plant grown for its large, open, brightly coloured flowers — often red, pink, yellow, or orange — with a long column standing in the middle. In warm places it becomes a garden bush; in cooler places people keep it in pots. You will see the flowers in hair, on tea packets, and on holiday shirts. Though actually, not every “hibiscus” in a kitchen is the same plant: the sour red tea many people like is often roselle, a cousin in the same family, while the big ornamental bloom on a fence is usually another kind. The English word does not split into smaller English pieces; it is an old plant name that travelled through Latin and Greek.