The hibiscus flower can universally mean that it is a nice summer. It might seem as an odd meaning for a flower but the answer is quite simple and rather dull, it takes a nice summer for the hibiscus to bloom. So when a hibiscus blooms, it simply means that it has been a nice summer. Today one can therefore use the hibiscus to wish someone a nice summer, if there are any to buy.
In Europe during the Victorian era the hibiscus only had one meaning and that is also the meaning that is being used today. The meaning of hibiscus flower is “delicate beauty” and the explanation for that is as simple as the universal meaning, the hibiscus is a delicate beauty. Coming in a wide variety of colors the hibiscus could be matched with the givers, or receivers, personality and still just mean “delicate beauty”. The hibiscus is simply a very flexible flower among all the other specialized flower meanings.
In the state of Hawaii the hibiscus is the state flower simply because it is one of the most common flowers to find on the islands and is generally given to visiting state officials, and sometimes even tourists. In Hawaiian history and tradition the hibiscus is a symbol for the old royalty and is a flower that brings great power and respect, in other words very suiting for both the state and visiting state officials.
In the Japanese language of flowers, hanakotoba, the hibiscus means “gentle” and it is said that it both is connected to the universal meaning and have inspired the Hawaiian meaning. With the Japanese meaning of hibiscus flower it can be given to more or less anyone simply as a nice present, there are no strong emotions or questions of relationships baked into it, it simply means “gentle”.
