The Gardens

Hibiscus syriacus / Rose of Sharon

Planted in fall 2008. This is 'White Chiffon' from Gledhill at the end of the season.

Less likely than most Rose of Sharons to get rangy, naturally more compactly stemmed & leafed. 

Late to leaf out, looks dead into June!  'White Chiffon' is supposedly sterile, so no seedlings everywhere, which can be a problem with other Rose of Sharons. (an update as of 2015: there are seedlings everywhere and they are tough to pull out. Not so sterile after all.)

August 8, 2011

Flowering was fantastic and lasts a long time, into fall.
9/9/12

9/9/12

4/25/13  As always, late to leaf out

I never knew before that the hummingbirds visited these white flowers, but sitting on the porch, with the plant visible through the screen just inches away, I could watch hummers spend long minutes drinking from the white chiffon cups.

9/1/13

In 2014 the flowers filled the dining rom window and made the room glow. I had waited for several years for it to be tall enough to peek up over the window sill, and finally it was. Hard to photograph here, but the clear white flowers just came into the room, and could be seen everywhere from inside the house. Lovely.

9/11/14

9/12/14

The shrub wants to splay out, leaving a gap in the middle. I've tried pruning the side branches, and I tried tying up the leaners, pulling them back upright, but nothing is helping.

9/12/14  a gap in the middle

9/12/14  branches are leaning way out to the side

8/9/15

Each year it flops open in the summer. After another pruning in 2015, it arched over and flopped even more.

8/28/15

But the flowers are still lovely seen from inside the house in late August and September. It's interesting that the hummingbirds love these white flowers and will feed just feet from me when I am inside the porch watching.

8/30/16