Hibiscus syriacus Flower Tower Purple - Rose of Sharon

The Hibiscus syriacus 'Flower Tower Purple' Gandini Santiago is a unique type of hibiscus with a columnar habit, making it an excellent choice for contemporary gardens and small spaces. It has a long flowering period and produces vibrant and contrasting colours. The bush has single to semi-double flowers with a light pink colour and a dark red centre, making it easily visible from afar. The flowers are short-lived, but more are produced constantly from the second half of summer until early autumn. This hardy bush is easy to grow in ordinary soil and full sun and can be used in a flowering hedge, mass planting, or large container near the house.

The 'Flower Tower Purple' or Hibiscus syriacus Gandini Santiago is part of a new series of varieties with a naturally narrow and upright habit, unlike other shrubs with a spreading silhouette. This plant belongs to the mallow family and is sometimes called the Rose of Sharon or Tree Mallow. It is hardy and native to temperate regions of Asia, giving rise to numerous cultivars such as Althea 'Blue Bird' or Woodbridge. The plant is well adapted to limestone soils and heat.

The 'Flower Tower Purple' variety of Hibiscus is a bush that grows slowly, reaching a height of around 4m (13 ft 1 in) and a width of 1m (3 ft 4 in) on ascending branches. It forms a beautiful dark backdrop of slightly glossy, dark green foliage as it grows. The deciduous foliage appears late in spring and falls in November. At the age of 10, it will measure approximately 3m (9 ft 10 in) in height and 80cm (31.5 in) in width, depending on the growing conditions. The flowering season usually starts in late July and lasts until early October. The flowers are single or semi-double corollas, about 7-8cm (2.8-3.1 in) wide, with vivid colours in light pink and dark red, around a large central column of fused white stamens. After the flowers, multiple fruits appear, which can be regularly removed to encourage continuous blooming. The leaves are alternate, lobed, ovate to lanceolate, and have toothed and billowy edges, measuring about 10cm (3.9 in) long. The deciduous foliage appears late in spring and falls in November.

The Rose of Sharon has the advantage of flowering abundantly at a time when few shrubs are in bloom in the garden, in almost all types of soil and in all climates. 'Diana' Althaea likes bright, warm locations, and can tolerate light shade in warmer temperatures. This Hibiscus requires little maintenance and grows slowly but steadily. Plant it in a sheltered spot from strong winds, in a soil that remains slightly moist until the end of summer. This excellent variety can be used as a 2 m (6 ft 7 in) hedge, in combination with other hibiscus of different colours, buddleias, abelias, as a standalone plant or at the back of a perennial flower bed composed of asters, phlox, daylilies, gauras, or shrubby lavateras.

In regions with cool and rainy summers, it is best to choose single-flowered hibiscus varieties as they bloom better in cooler temperatures than double-flowered ones.