'White Wings' is considered to have been one of the earliest of the hibiscus hybrids. According to Ross Gast, a hibiscus expert from the 1950s, the cultivar we call 'White Wings' in the United States is probably the Hawaiian cultivar 'Wrightii,' commonly called "narrow petalled Fijian white." With Fijian and Hawaiian roots, it's possible that 'White Wings' is not a Hibiscus rosa-sinensis hybrid at all, but a descendant of the Fijian native species Hibiscus storckii and possibly also the Hawaiian native species Hibiscus arnottianus. It is impossible to determine at this point in time, although in the future, as more species of plants have their genomes mapped, we may be able to know much more about this old hibiscus hybrid.

'White Wings' is still a beautiful hibiscus today. Its bush is large and full, growing up to 15 feet tall, and constantly covered with the bright white "windmill" flowers. In the 1950s and '60s, 'White Wings' was commonly sold in garden centers, but it has become increasingly difficult to find. At HVH we have had enough requests for this classic cultivar that we decided to start growing it for our customers in 2009.