What does hibiscus mean?
Word: Hibiscus
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Hibiscus means a garden plant with large, trumpet-shaped flowers, often bright red, with a long stalk standing out from the middle.
How do you spell hibiscus?
Syllables: hi - bis - cus
Tricky part: The last beat has a hard c that sounds like k, so children write hibiskus. It ends in plain us, not ous as in famous.
Watch out for: hibiskus, hibiscous
Memory tip: Cactus is another plant that uses c for the k sound and ends in us: hibiscus finishes the same way.
Hibiscus in a sentence
Example 1: Mum grows a red hibiscus in a pot on the balcony.
Example 2: The hibiscus bush near our gate is covered in buds.
Example 3: Bees kept buzzing in and out of the big hibiscus flowers.
Fun Fact
The hibiscus is the national flower of Malaysia, where it is called bunga raya.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell Spies
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) sunflower
b) marigold
c) hybiscus
d) jasmine
Show answer
c) hybiscus. The first beat is hi, with an i; jasmine, marigold and sunflower are all correct.
Spellacadabra
From which option does a letter need to be removed to make a meaningful word?
a) orchid
b) sapling
c) hibbiscus
d) blossom
Show answer
c) hibbiscus. Hibiscus has one b; the other three words are already spelt correctly.
Word Champ
Which of the words cannot be made using the letters in the given word?
hibiscus
a) cubs
b) hiss
c) cubic
d) bush
Show answer
c) cubic. Cubic has a c at the start and another at the end, but the c in hibiscus can be used only once.
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
cusbiish
a) a small sweet fruit that grows in bunches on a vine
b) a plant with large trumpet-shaped flowers, often red
c) a tall grass with hollow stems used for furniture
d) a hard, dry seed that is ground to make flour
Show answer
b) a plant with large trumpet-shaped flowers, often red. Spot the h and the two s's first, and the letters fall into place as hibiscus.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A hibiscus grows best in a place that is ___.
a) dry and windy
b) dark and damp
c) cold and snowy
d) warm and sunny
Show answer
d) warm and sunny
2. Dried hibiscus flowers can be used to make ___.
a) a white flour
b) a salty pickle
c) a hard cheese
d) a deep red tea
Show answer
d) a deep red tea
