Need help with Hibiscus Chiffon tricolour

Hello everyone and Happy New Year!
There were several tempting offers by Garden centers before Christmas and I decided to place an order with Gardening Express. I got Hibiscus Chiffon tricolour but to my mind it does not look healthy. It seems to me there is green mold between its branches. I tried to find on google what it is and what to do. Unfortunately I have failed. So my last hope is you, my fellow-gardeners. I have attached photos of my hibiscus and hope you will be able to give me your advice and recommendations .
Thank you in advance.

 

Looks like lichen to me.
If so it will not harm the plant, I'm guessing this is a hardy Hibiscus.

 

Yes, agree with Pete
Ok, looks a bit unsightly on bare wood but may well disappear when growing away strongly in the garden.
A plant for the open garden rather than in a pot though

 

I notice Gardening Express has it on an excellent price today! I'm tempted...

 

I have had a few bargains from Gardening Express CarolineL

 

Thank you for your replies. I agree it can be lichen on my hibiscus branches but I doubt that it is harmless. Some time ago I had similar lichen? on several of my azalia branches. I had to cut off those branches. Then lichen? moved to other branches and slowly slowly the plant died. That's why I am worried that my new hibiscus will die in no time.

 

@Black Orchid Lichen is harmless, it just uses the plant as support. As Verdun said it may disappear when the plant begins to grow strongly. Lichen appears on older/slow growing trees and shrubs.
I wouldn't fret about it, when the plant starts to shoot next year plant it out or repot it and it should be fine.
One thing to note hardy hibiscus is late into leaf, often May and they lose their leaves fairly early, September.

 

I think with some plants lichen growing on the branches indicates poor growing conditions, but it often depends on the kind of plant.
Personally I'd suggest that lichen would not really like the growing conditions that an Hibiscus would enjoy, but the Lichen itself will not do the plant any harm.

Some plants actually like the same conditions as lichen, so it goes with the territory IMO, just plant it in a good sunny spot with good drainage, I think once it gets established the lichen will disappear.

 

+3 Lichen is a sign of pure air. It grows on all sorts of woody plants but doesn't do them any harm. Hibiscus look pretty 'dead' for a good part of the year, so handy to plant amongst Spring-flowering shrubs and perennials to give late summer colour.

 

Well yes they do say that, but its quite rare around here, but it grows really well on my asbestos shed roof.
I think it tends to like places that have a fairly long damp period in the year, asbestos sheeting is absorbent, I've seen it growing really well on wooden gates etc.

But I think a good dry airy atmosphere tends to deter it.
Just my thinking.

Without going too deep, I think it has a symbiotic relationship with moss, in some way.

 

Pure as in unpolluted! Nature must have a different definition of pollution
You're right about the damp, @pete. The twigs in the photo were collected in a forest to the west of here. Every tree is covered in a thick coating of lichen but the average rainfall in that area is about the same as N Wales
Moss, lichen...not sure about symbiosis. I've got moss on the tile roof and in the 'lawn' but not on the trees

 

I think there are many types of lichen but I mostly only see the circular yellow or grey types you see on stonework etc.
That branching type that tends to hang from trees is not seen much around here.

 

Given the traffic in UK, I'm not surprised!

 

Lichen is a symbiotic relationship between an algae and a fungi. They do require clean air and rain; the clean air acts in the UK as well as the collapse of heavy industry have led to there recovery.
I have several different types growing on trees here, they have also colonised parts of the car. Wistman's Wood here in Devon is well known for it's gnarled oaks covered in lichen.

 

So I was nearly right then