SOME of the flowers of the Hibiscus Hybrids developed by the Institute of Plant Breeding in Los Baños were showcased at the 2nd Urban Agri expo under the auspices of the Agriculture Magazine of the Manila Bulletin at the Tri Noma mall in Quezon City on February 27-28, 2016.

The hybrid series were named after distinguished women in Philippine history, science, arts and public service. These include the Centennial series, Millennium series, Celebrity Star series, Oblation series, Women in Science series, Women in the Arts series, Women in Public Service series and Women Saint series.

Hibiscus, also called gumamela in the Philippines, are popular flowering plants that are planted in homes as well as in landscaping outside the residence such as resorts, golf courses, commercial buildings and many others. They are also grown and sold as potted flowering plants.