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How to Dry Hibiscus Flowers

By: Lauren Wise

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21 September, 2017

Hibiscus flowers are an ideal addition to any garden or landscape while they are alive and fresh, and to any decor when they are dried out. When you dry hibiscus blooms, you are preserving them so they will last for long periods of time in floral arrangements. It is best to use silica gel to get the best drying results.

Use pruning shears or scissors to cut the bloom off the stem.

Use a container that is large enough to hold the bloom and add a ½-inch layer of silica gel into the bottom of it evenly.

Set the hibiscus bloom carefully into the container with the blossoms facing up toward you, straight. For containers that hold multiple hibiscus blooms, make sure the flowers are not touching.

Hibiscus flowers are an ideal addition to any garden or landscape while they are alive and fresh, and to any decor when they are dried out.
For containers that hold multiple hibiscus blooms, make sure the flowers are not touching.

Sprinkle the silica gel lightly and carefully over the top of the blooms. Make sure that the petals aren't moving when you sprinkle the gel. Do this until the flowers are completely buried.

Seal the container with an airtight top and let it sit in a room temperature area for about three to four weeks.

Check the hibiscus blooms to make sure they are dry after Step 5. When they are dry, the petals feel crisp.

Pour out the majority of the silica gel into another container to remove it from the flowers.

Sprinkle the silica gel lightly and carefully over the top of the blooms.
Pour out the majority of the silica gel into another container to remove it from the flowers.

Reach in carefully to the flower's container and lift them out by the base to remove them from the gel. Use a soft bristled brush (like a paint or makeup brush) to brush off any remaining gel from the petals or stem.

Hibiscus Flowers Hurt Dogs If They Eat The Blooms?

There are two types of hibiscus (Hibiscus spp. ), The plant grows best in moist, well-drained and slightly acidic soil with full sun or partial shade. Hibiscus can also be grown as potted plants indoors in all climates. Some types of hibiscus are toxic to dogs while others are not, according to a report on NBCNews.com. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals specifically lists the hardy hibiscus, Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), as toxic to your canine companions if ingested, although the flowers are considered generally safe for humans to eat, according to the University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture Research & Extension. Rose of Sharon grows in USDA zones 5 through 8.

Reach in carefully to the flower's container and lift them out by the base to remove them from the gel.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals specifically lists the hardy hibiscus, Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), as toxic to your canine companions if ingested, although the flowers are considered generally safe for humans to eat, according to the University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture Research & Extension.