Recently, my hibiscus plant has produced a handful of yellow leaves on a daily basis. I've checked its moisture levels. I've rotated it in its sunny West-facing window. I've removed the unhappy leaves. Yet still, each day brings a new crop of yellow. So I did what any student of higher education would do; I Googled it.
Hisbiscus will put out yellow leaves for any number of reasons: too much water, not enough water, too much sunlight, not enough sunlight, too cold, too hot, etc. The folks at Hidden Valley hibiscus boil it down to stress – "Hibiscus leaves turn yellow and drop from the plant due to stress." So let me get this straight! My houseplant which sits quietly in the corner of the least chaotic room in my house is suffering from stress?!? Are you kidding me? Perhaps it would rather have every moment of its day filled with deadlines, being accountable to a trio of teens, dealing with the ups and downs of marriage (figuratively) and weight loss (literally), keeping the house stocked with food and free of bio-hazards, pick-ups and drop-offs, soccer and football games – well you get the idea.
Personally, I detest when people talk about how busy they are and so – being the change I want to see in the world – I don't usually go on (too much) about how busy and stressful my life is. It's not a competition (which I would win, if it were) but I do take exception to my plant and any anxiety it claims to suffer.
