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Hibiscus syriacus seeds - Rose of Sharon

Hibiscus syriacus
Common Hibiscus, Rose of Sharon, Syrian ketmia, St Joseph's rod, Garden Hibiscus

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A deciduous bush valued for its long summer flowering and ease of cultivation. Medium-sized with an upright habit, it is adorned with trilobed, bright green leaves. From July until the first frosts, it produces large, solitary, violet-purple flowers with 5 petals. The fruits are capsules containing villous seeds that can be sown after undergoing stratification or scarification.
Flower size
8 cm
Height at maturity
2.50 m
Exposure
Sun
Germination time (days)
20 days
Sowing method
Sowing under cover, Sowing under cover with heat
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Sowing period April to May
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Flowering time July to October
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Description

Hibiscus syriacus is the popular garden hibiscus, cherished for its generous and very long summer flowering. This beautiful bush with an upright habit and rapid growth reaches 2 to 2.50 m in height and bears well-cut, deep green foliage. From early summer, it produces large purple-violet flowers resembling those of delicate tropical Hibiscus, though this species is, in fact, very hardy. The bush thrives in full sun, in most soils except those too clayey or acidic, and requires little maintenance.

Hibiscus belongs to the Malvaceae family, a highly cosmopolitan group that includes wild mallows from our countryside as well as many ornamental plants, such as the lovely Lavateras. The Hibiscus genus comprises around 200 species, both woody and herbaceous, mostly of tropical origin. Hibiscus syriacus is one of the hardiest of all, tolerating cold down to -25°C. Contrary to what its name might suggest, the plant does not originate from Syria but from China and India, where it grows into a large bush exceeding 5 m in height.
In our gardens, it typically reaches no more than 2.50 m, or 3 m for older, unpruned specimens. However, there are so many cultivars with single or double flowers in white, pink, red, purple, violet, or even bicoloured that it is rare to encounter the botanical species offered here. The bush is nonetheless charming, with its deep green foliage composed of trilobed leaves, irregularly toothed, 5 to 10 cm long, and borne on short petioles. The deciduous leaves are smooth and carried on upright shoots, grey when young, then brown. The bush has an upright habit, not exceeding 1 to 1.50 m in width at maturity. Its growth is relatively fast if adequately watered.
Also known as Rose of Sharon or Althea, the garden Hibiscus is remarkable for its highly ornamental and long-lasting flowering. From early July, large single flowers with 5 petals, measuring 6 to 10 cm in diameter, appear. They are solitary and adorn the bush regularly. The numerous stamens are often fused at the base, forming a small fleshy column that appears dusted with gold. The corolla has a lovely purple-violet hue, varying between specimens but always highly decorative. The flowers continue throughout summer until October, provided faded blooms are removed. Of course, they can be left to set seed if you wish to collect and sow them yourself.

Hibiscus syriacus is one of those easy-to-grow plants that richly reward amateur gardeners for minimal effort. Plant it alongside other accommodating spring-flowering plants, such as Van Houtte's Spirea, which from April to June will have delightful and abundant white flowers. For early-season colour, nothing beats  Forsythias, with their incredible yellow blooms defying winter’s last chills.

 

 

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Hibiscus, Althaea: planting, growing and care
Family sheet
by Valérie 13 min.
Hibiscus, Althaea: planting, growing and care
Read article

Flowering

Flower colour purple
Flowering time July to October
Inflorescence Solitary
Flower size 8 cm

Foliage

Foliage persistence Deciduous
Foliage colour green

Plant habit

Height at maturity 2.50 m
Spread at maturity 1.50 m
Growth rate fast

Botanical data

Genus

Hibiscus

Species

syriacus

Family

Malvaceae

Other common names

Common Hibiscus, Rose of Sharon, Syrian ketmia, St Joseph's rod, Garden Hibiscus

Botanical synonyms

Althaea frutex HORT.

Origin

India, China

Product reference23964

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Planting and care

Hibiscus syriacus is preferably propagated by cutting, especially in the case of horticultural varieties where one wishes to preserve their characteristics (this is referred to as vegetative propagation, allowing the same genetics as the original plant to be maintained).
Conversely, sexual reproduction produces individuals that may differ.
As this concerns the standard botanical species, the latter point is not a drawback as it would be with a horticultural variety.

Sowing is therefore possible, provided the seeds undergo either stratification or scarification to improve the success rate. The aim is to act on the fairly tough wall of the seed to enable germination.
To prepare the seeds, you can proceed as follows:
* By scarification: gently rub them with fine sandpaper to reduce the thickness of the wall, or soak them in warm water for a few hours to soften them
* By stratification: in autumn, place alternating layers (strata) of seeds and a compost-sand mixture in a large terracotta bucket; position the bucket against a wall but exposed to rain; retrieve the seeds in spring for sowing.

The sowing process itself is very straightforward—simply fill a seed tray with sowing compost, scatter the seeds on the surface, press them down about 1 cm, then cover with a light layer of vermiculite. Keep the substrate moist and the tray at a temperature of approximately 20°C. Germination occurs after 2 to 3 weeks. Once the seedlings reach around 10 cm in height or have 4 to 6 spreading leaves, transplant them into individual pots to grow during the season. In autumn, they can be planted out in the open ground.

 

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Sowing period

Sowing period April to May
Sowing method Sowing under cover, Sowing under cover with heat
Germination time (days) 20 days

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow
Type of use Free-standing, Hedge
Hardiness Hardy down to -29°C (USDA zone 5) Show map
Ease of cultivation Amateur
Exposure Sun
Soil pH Neutral, Calcareous
Soil moisture Dry soil, Moist soil, Well-draining, dislikes excess clay and water

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