The heart-shaped leaves are spirally-arranged. They are dark-green above and whitish below.

Flowers have bright yellow petals, with a maroon centre. The flowers are present throughout the year. They open at about 9.00am and closes at about 4.00pm on sunny days or early the next morning.Day-old flower turns orange and will soon drop.

The fruits are capsules which split apart when ripe to release kidney-shaped seeds which can float in seawater to be dispersed away.

Size: Up to 15 m tall

Common

Coastal Forest

The seeds of the Sea Hibiscus are food for the larvae of the Cotton Stainer Bugs (Dysdercus decussatus).

The stringy bark of Sea Hibiscus is a source of excellent fibre for making strings, ropes, fishing nets and for stuffing up the gaps between the planks in the boat hull to make it watertight.