Perlite is the preferred medium for rooting cuttings. It gives the new roots no resistance to grow. Some plants when rooting in water develop water roots which is a little difficult to adapt to soil later. I don't know if this is the case for Hibiscus.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rooting cuttings

nobreyner,thanks,i'm out tp pot up right now before it rains again....thanks,patricia

I have never had much luck using rooting hormone. Due to laziness and lack of rooting hormone on hand, last week I put some branches that had been broken from my hardy hibiscus in water. I trimmed the stems so they would fit in my container and snipped the leaves that were below the water level.

In about 2 days the leaves all dried up and I left them for dead. However, due to that laziness again, I didn't pitch them. This morning I went to move them to the compost, and both stalks had roots growing, one had a new leaf coming.

Take a couple of limbs which are always drooping near the ground. Scrape the bottom of the limb over a leaf node. fill a 7x7 inch pot with good soil and split one side about half way down. Poke the limb through the split and bury the scraped node in the soil. Use some duct tape to seal the split in the pot. This layering will allow you limb to take root and feed it until it is well rooted. When rooted, cut it away from the momma plant.