Some Reflections on the Past and Future Initially, as the New Orleans Hibiscus Club, we thought of ourselves as friends, who got together once a month to share something we enjoyed and to enjoy something we shared. But our organization grew more rapidly than we had expected. Soon we were making new friends. Our first "Show and Sale" in 1997 was a financial risk. It seemed foolhardy for a group with only a dozen or so members to attempt to organize an undertaking of this magnitude. But, perhaps because it was such a daunting task, the membership pulled together. Everyone worked hard, and with a good bit of luck, the Show and Sale was a financial success. But, while the money was most welcome, the success of that day was the public exposure that hibiscus and our group received. The Show and Sale gave us a city-wide profile and membership doubled within a year. Certainly, we did work hard to get the "word" out. But, in truth, this growth was only partially a result of our own efforts. It is more accurate to say, it was the "flowers" that sold "US" to the public. People joined the Chapter because they wanted to learn more about these botanical lovelies. In 10 years the New Orleans Chapter has grown from a cohort of "4" well-meaning, but inexperienced, hibiscus "nuts" to an organization with an average annual membership of 70+ hibiscus "nuts." While maintaining our efforts to educate the public and securing stable sources of new cultivars, our Chapter now looks forward to supporting a "limited" number of projects for the city. In future, we hope to see more public displays of hibiscus throughout the city. Join Us!

Beginnings at Loyola University   The New Orleans Chapter of the American Hibiscus is a non-for-profit organization dedicated to the promotion and introduction of hibiscus in and around the New Orleans area. The Chapter had its origins in the former New Orleans Hibiscus Club. In 1995, Fr. Robert Gerlich, S.J., Associate Professor of History at Loyola University New Orleans, began collecting and growing some of the more exotic cultivars of hibiscus rosa-sinensis, the tropical hibiscus. As his collection grew, Fr. Gerlich began sharing his flowers with other flower lovers on campus. Hibiscus blooms appeared in the offices of staff and faculty and public spaces took on an increasingly tropical atmosphere. Over a period of several months, a wave of excitement and curiosity swept the campus as stunned bypassers repeatedly exclaimed: “Are They Real?” Caught up in their enthusiasm for hibiscus, Fr. Gerlich and three members of the University community — Pam Fradella, Debbie LaMarca, and Pat Doran — decided to form a club. Named the New Orleans Hibiscus Club, this small group of friends sought to learn more about hibiscus, while having a good time doing it. Monthly meetings proved to be both fun and helpful. Members discussed growing problems, propagation techniques and exchanged plant materials. Within a few months, the initial group had grown to include hibiscus enthusiasts who had no direct connection to Loyola, but who had come to hear of the meetings from a variety of word-of-mouth sources. Joining the American Hibiscus Society Inevitably, the search for knowledge and plants led to contacts with the American Hibiscus Society. In short order, members of the Baton Rouge and Lone Star chapters of the AHS proved themselves to be true friends. They provided us with wisdom, generous support, and hard-to-obtain plant materials.. Given our overwhelmingly positive experience with these chapters, we petitioned to join the AHS. That petition was granted in 1998. The New Orleans Hibiscus Club became the New Orleans Chapter of the AHS. Despite the change in name and affiliation, the core mission of the organization remained the same -- to share a love for hibiscus! Chapter Activities: Educating the Public It was only natural that an organization "born" at a university should have a strong educational component. And indeed, it was always our long-term goal to educate the general public about hibiscus. Even before joining the AHS, we had worked to increase public awareness of hibiscus. Membership in the AHS has only added new impetus to our earlier efforts. Over the years, the Chapter has participated in garden shows, offered lectures to a wide variety of general and speciality gardening groups, and held an annual Show and Sale. In only a few short years, the gardening public has come to expect the unusual and exotic at our Shows. But more importantly, our activities has spurred gardeners to actively seek out new cultivars. Local garden centers have responded by expanding their hibiscus offerings. Chapter Activities: Hybridizing Any gardening society producing hybridizers is a vital and healthy organization. It indicates that a chapter has matured. In New Orleans, we "matured" early. Within the first year of the Chapter's founding, some of our members were "bitten" by the hybridizing bug. Infectious and thrilling, "hybridizing" represents a natural progression in the evolution of "hibiscus mania". Although not all, a significant number of hibiscus enthusiasts progress through its various stages...first, they are admirers, then they become growers . . . collectors and finally hybridizers. Not only have our members produced new seedlings, but some of their hybrids have won ribbons at local and regional shows. And a substantial number of these have gone on to garner national recognition. In the last few years, Louisiana has become a center for hibiscus hybridizing on a footing with Florida, Texas and California. And we are proud to say, “we are doing our part.”