Normally I order seeds of the Red Star hibiscus off ebay though, there is a local grower that sells them fairly cheaply as adult plants. It doesn't hurt to ask for a bit extra padding wise when shipping especially if it starts its journey through the US Postal service. I normally start the seeds after an all night soak in water with a few drops of hydrogen peroxide to sterilize the seed surfaces. Then I sow them on a slightly moistened paper towel in a plastic bag. The water I moisten the towel with has a few drops of hydrogen peroxide in it to kill anything in the bag or on the paper towel. They tend to really go crazy and I have gotten 80+% germination rates which came as a surprise when I sowed 50+ seeds! Be aware they grow astoundingly quickly after germination. If you order off ebay make sure you order from someone in the south like Louisiana, Texas, Florida etc etc. The snow white version grows and behaves exactly like the red version save it has green stems/leaves with no reddish tint and no red flowers. They can grow in garden soil but if you have a swampy/boggy sunny spot they will be happier. I find that if they stay in regular soil they tend to only live a few years.
