Why do my hibiscus plants always look so leggy?
Some plants bush out and look so pretty, while others that have been cut back just never get that bush effect. ??
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Sounds like it needs a good pruning job. Pruning prevents the plant from looking leggy and stringy and overall improves plant health.
Do you have a perennial hibiscus or a tropical hibiscus?
A lot depends on the variety of tropical hibiscus you have. Older varieties like Brilliant Red tend to be leggier in appearance and if you prune them often enough to get more branches, you never get any flowers. Newer varieties (I'm thinking of Tradewinds Hibiscus because they are ones I'm familiar with) are bred to be more compact with shorter internodes (the spaces between leaves) and will have more flowers on them. You can try putting your hibiscus outdoors in the summer where the increased light and air movement will help to encourage more robust beefy stems but understand you are risking more pests such as spider mites, etc.