Perennial Flowering Bushes
Our region’s shrub form of hibiscus has a long and storied history in the garden, a history that
starts in ancient Asia, where Hibiscus syriacus, the species we know commonly as Rose of Sharon, is native. While
not native in Europe, Rose of Sharon was cultivated there for centuries and is referred to throughout ancient
writings, including passages of the Bible. Settlers brought it to the New World, and it soon became a landscape
mainstay in colonial America.
It’s easy to understand why Rose of Sharon has remained so popular. There are few plants as easy to get established
in the landscape or as floriferous and rewarding with so little expenditure of effort. While Rose of Sharon is
considered a shrub, it’s good to note that it’s a rather large, bulky one. At 10 to 12 feet tall and six to 10 feet
wide, it will rapidly eat up space in a small yard. But its seductive bloom can easily override gardening logic,
especially when the plant is small and loaded with color.
H. syriacus and its three-to-four-inch-wide flowers bloom on new wood. It buds in midsummer and begins to bloom in
late July, continuing into September. Rose of Sharon loves full sun but tolerates light shade, and, like its
tropical brethren, this Zone 5 plant craves heat. Its leaves tend to be the last of any shrub to emerge, grudgingly
peeking out in mid-May in southern New England but not until Memorial Day or beyond in the northern reaches of its
range.
H. syriacus is divided into double-flowered and single-flowered varieties, with doubles tending to start their
bloom slightly later than singles. Many doubles have been garden mainstays for decades, with flower colors that
range from white and pink to red and violet. Some of the best double varieties are ‘Ardens,’ with its rose-purple
flowers; ‘Blushing Bride,’ with rich pink flowers that fade to white; ‘Jeanne D’Arc,’ with profuse, pure white
flowers; and ‘Lucy,’ with red flowers on a plant that may be the most vigorous of any double variety.
Perennial Flowering Bushes
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