Dr. Pablito M. Magdalita, one of the scientists involved in the development of the flowering plant, describes Hibiscus Perla Santos Ocampo as having medium to large flowers with apricot-orange petals, a red eye or center, and yellow edging. The plant is bushy, of medium height, and has a semi-spreading growth habit – perfect for people who like to use the gumamela as an ornamental hedge or fence wall.

Hibiscus Santos Ocampo is the most recent offering under the Oblation Series of the Crop Science Cluster - Institute of Plant Breeding (CSC-IPB), College of Agriculture, in UP Los Baños. IPB has been doing the Hibiscus Breeding Program since 1994. By breeding local varieties with germplasms that came from Hawaii, United States, Australia and the collection of the International Hibiscus Society, CSC-IPB has bred sturdy hybrids that bear the most beautiful flowers of various colors and shades.

Because of CSC-IPB scientists that include Reynold B. Pimentel and Dr. Magdalita, with the assistance of Priscilla P. Vicencio, several hybrid series have been released. These include the Centennial Series in honor of courageous Filipino heroines; Millennium Series, as a tribute to outstanding Filipino woman-scientists of Los Baños; the Celebrity Star Series, in honor of veteran and accomplished Filipina actresses.

The latest, the Oblation Series, was launched in 2006 to honor both the UP Centenary in the academe, government service, and other fields. The UP ladies who already had hibiscus hybrids named after them under the Oblation Series are Dr. Emerlinda R. Roman (current UP president), Regent Nelia T. Gonzales (UP Alumni Association president), and Dr. Estrella F. Alabastro (current DoST secretary).

Hibiscus Perla Santos Ocampo was so named upon the recommendation of Dr. Emil Q. Javier, current president of the National Academy of Science & Technology and former UP president (1993 to 1999).