Hibiscus mutabilis has been misunderstood for years; these legends are actually unreliable

Hibiscus mutabilis, also known as cotton rose, frost-defying flower, earth hibiscus, wood lotus, and Chinese wood, belongs to the Malvaceae family and the Hibiscus genus. Hibiscus mutabilis is an excellent flowering tree species, and Hibiscus mutabilis has a long flowering period, with large and colorful flowers and vigorous blooming. Since ancient times, it has mostly been planted in courtyards, forest edges, along walls, roadsides, in front of halls and buildings, and can also be planted as flower hedges or potted for ornamental viewing.

Hibiscus mutabilis blooms in late autumn. When all other flowers have withered and the branches and leaves have turned yellow and dry, only Hibiscus mutabilis blooms against the frost, standing out among all flowers and showing off its full charm. And it is not just beautiful and nice to look at; it has other uses as well. Hibiscus mutabilis can absorb solid particulate matter floating in the atmosphere, making it an ideal tree species for environmental greening and purification.

I remember previously mentioning Gelsemium elegans, and also introducing that "Gelsemium elegans" is not just the name of one plant. You definitely would not expect that the elegant and refined Hibiscus mutabilis, standing out among all flowers, is actually also a kind of Gelsemium elegans. Everyone knows the legend of Shennong, who was poisoned to death by Gelsemium elegans, but exactly which plant it was is debated by many, and it cannot be certain which one it was.

And Hibiscus mutabilis is also one of these legendary Gelsemium elegans that poisoned Shennong to death. Legend has it that Shennong sought hundreds of herbs to make medicine, to treat the illnesses and pains of the common people, and finally tried a red flower and unfortunately died of poisoning. Later, in order to commemorate him and remind everyone not to repeat the same mistake, people called this red flower "Gelsemium elegans."

And this flower is exactly the cotton rose! The poet immortal Li Bai also once wrote a verse like "Once it was a cotton rose, now it is Gelsemium elegans." This shows that the toxicity of Hibiscus mutabilis is extraordinary, but is that really true? This legend is not reliable at all; Hibiscus mutabilis is not toxic. Not only is it non-toxic, the stem bark fiber of Hibiscus mutabilis is white, soft and tough, and water-resistant, and can be made into ropes, cables, used as raw material for hemp-like and textile products, and can also be used for papermaking.

The flowers and leaves of Hibiscus mutabilis can also be used as medicine, with the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing swelling and discharging pus, cooling blood and stopping bleeding. It can also treat many ailments, such as lung-heat cough, excessive menstruation, excessive vaginal discharge, etc. For external use, it can also treat carbuncles and swollen toxins, mastitis, lymphadenitis, mumps, boils, burns from fire and water, venomous snake bites, bruises and injuries, and other conditions.