I'm thrilled to announce that I have a seed pod on Midnight Marvel due to microwaving the pollen. I did two flowers and only one took. As some of you know there are a few hardy hibiscus that are not self fertile and MM is one of them. I had great results with microwaving pollen on another plant that is not self fertile, Albuca spiralis so I decided to try it on MM and I'll definitely be trying this on other plants that are not self fertile.

I don't understand how microwaving pollen from plants that are not self fertile works, but it know it works from experience.

Here is the method - you need a microwave that allows you to adjust the wattage.

Collect pollen from the flower you want to pollinate and put it in a small container suitable for a microwave. Adjust the wattage down to 400 watts and microwave the pollen for about 15 seconds.

Add fresh pollen from the plant, mix it with the microwaved pollen and hand pollinate your flower. You'll know in about a week whether or not it took.

I'd really love for others to try this method on other non-self fertile hibiscus like Plum Crazy.

I have never of this before.

I had never heard of it either. I was desperate to get seeds out of the Albuca spiralis plant and had been hand pollinating it for years with no results .. I scoured the internet looking to see if anyone else was having the same problem and stumbled upon a thread on the Pacific Bulb Society. Here's a link to another thread about it:

The thread "Microwaving Pollen" in Propagation forum

Are you planning on sowing the seeds soon? It would be great if you could provide an update on how many of the seeds are viable and germinate!

The pod is still about a month way from being ripe. Depending on how many I get I might just start a few immediately out of curiosity. I definitely will keep updating on progress.

I'm also considering trying to cross species by microwaving pollen. My first attempt will be brugmansia x datura metel since they are so close. I just need to get two flowers blooming at the same time.

Xeramtheum said:
I just need to get two flowers blooming at the same time.

That's been my problem with any hybridizing.

Xeramtheum said:
Add fresh pollen from the plant, mix it with the microwaved pollen and hand pollinate your flower. You'll know in about a week whether or not it took.

Just curious, if the fresh pollen is not fertile, what is the purpose of mixing it with the microwaved pollen.

I don't know Jay .. just following directions!

wow this is great if it really works. Now I can try to breed my fire and ice and my snow queen varieties, they were definitely not taking before. I really want to put a much different flower onto the variegated leaves if possible.

I haven't tried it on the H. sinensis yet but I definitely will be trying .. I also want to see if I can get H. schizopetalus - Chinese Lantern to make seeds.

I harvested the seeds today! The pod turned brown almost overnight. I wasn't really expecting very many seeds but was delighted to find bunches when I opened the pod! I'll let them dry out a few days then plant a few and see if they germinate.

Why do you want to use Midnight Marvel pollen on itself? If you want more Midnight Marvels, they root very easily from cuttings. This is the only way to get an exact copy of that plant. No plant from seeds is going to be exactly Midnight Marvel no matter how you get the seeds.

Actually Clint, Hardy Hibiscus tend to be true to the parent.

They can't be called Midnight Marvel though unless they are from cuttings. I just meant that this is the only way to get the exact plant. The plants from seeds can vary in foliage, flower color, etc. I saw someone posted some seedlings of Midnight Marvel. They didn't look like Midnight Marvel to me. Cuttings of these will root in less than two weeks.

clintbrown said:They can't be called Midnight Marvel though unless they are from cuttings. I just meant that this is the only way to get the exact plant. The plants from seeds can vary in foliage, flower color, etc. I saw someone posted some seedlings of Midnight Marvel. They didn't look like Midnight Marvel to me. Cuttings of these will root in less than two weeks.

While it may be true that you have to take a cutting to be an genetic clone. You can still call many Hibiscus by their names when grown from seeds. All the Lunas series, Disco Belle series and others grow true from seed and are often sold as seed.

The 'Luna' series and 'Disco Belle' series are seed strain cultivars so, of course, they can be called by their respective names when grown from seeds. 'Midnight Marvel' is a patented, cutting or tissue culture propagated cultivar (asexual) so seedlings from it can not be called 'Midnight Marvel'. Since 'Midnight Marvel' is patented it is, technically, illegal to propagate it by cuttings. (I won't tell on anyone, though! )

Given that it is a complicated interspecific hybrid, I doubt that the seedlings will be exactly like 'Midnight Marvel' but some may be close. However, if you do get something great from the seedlings, then they are free from that pesky patent and you can make cuttings to your heart's content!

Anne, I love your experiments and am happily following your progress! I'm going to have to try the microwaving pollen deal sometime. Thanks for the fun adventure!

Thanks Danita .. always hoping for a mutation. That's why I love starting from seeds.

Delighted to report the seeds I harvested are fertile! Planted 4 and have 2 coming up.

Hooray! Way to go, Anne!

Thanks .. can't wait to see the flowers .. but we'll have to be patient - won't happen til next year.