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Hibiscus syriacus 'Minsycbb2b' IGLOO® Rose-of-Sharon
Symbivit Tric (arbuscular)
Symbivit (arbuscular)Hibiscus
Hibiscus syriacus is a deciduous shrub from the mallow family (Malvaceae), native to East Asia – especially China, Korea, and India – and one of roughly 300 species in the genus Hibiscus. It reached Europe as early as the late 16th century, with the first recorded cultivation dating back to 1596. The species was scientifically described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 in his work Species Plantarum. The specific epithet syriacus refers to the fact that the first specimens he studied came from gardens in Syria, although the species does not grow wild there. Interestingly, in South Korea it has become the national flower and a symbol of perseverance, even appearing in the national anthem. I still reckon that it deserves much more attention than what is actually gets because with its long summer flowering in a range of colours that can brighten any garden, I consider it an essential part of a blooming summer garden.
Its common English name says Rose of Sharon, a poetic name borrowed from the biblical Song of Songs (2:1), where the speaker declares: “I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.” The original Hebrew term referred to a flower growing in the fertile Sharon plain in what is now Israel, but it was almost certainly neither a rose nor a hibiscus. To this day, botanists and historians have not agreed whether it was a lily, narcissus, tulip, or crocus. Yet translations into European languages preserved the name “Rose of Sharon”, and over the centuries it came to be applied to different plants in various parts of the world – for example, in North America to Hibiscus syriacus, and in Britain sometimes even to Hypericum calycinum. This variety of usage is a simple cultural “translation shift”: people attached a familiar, poetically resonant name to plants in their region that resembled the original biblical flower – in appearance, flowering season, or symbolism.
Not many growers specialize in breeding Rose-of-Sharon, so when someone devotes themselves to it purposefully and over the long term, they soon become recognized in their field. One such prominent research station is Hortival Diffusion in France — the new name for the Minier nursery, founded already in 1838 in Anjou. They have been working on hibiscus breeding since the 1960s, with Claude Bellion as the head of the breeding programme. Under his direction, large-flowered cultivars such as Pink Giant and Russian Violet (1970) were developed. His role was later taken over by Patrick Pineau, and as of 2025, the programme is coordinated by Pierre Chaussard. Thanks to their work, we can now enjoy improved older varieties like SUP’BRIDGE and SUP’HEART, the double-flowered French Cabaret® series, and the Chateau® series, which is currently gaining popularity mainly in the USA. New cultivars continue to emerge, and thanks to our longstanding partnership with the Minier nursery, we’re proud to present their latest innovations as they become available.
IGLOO® is a Rose-of-Sharon cultivar which is, in a word, stunning, and its name is spot-on – a glance at the flower evokes a cold igloo, which in this case will not melt. On the contrary, it seeks out the summer sun and basks in it. The flowers are white with delicately cool bluish edges, as if they wanted to sip ink but changed their mind at the last moment, ending up just a pale bluish-violet. They are large, with a small red eye at the center and a pale cream column topped with stigmas and stamens – typical of the mallow family (such as mallows or hollyhocks). The column is partially hidden among several smaller, stunted petals. The shrub grows at a moderate rate (20–30 cm per year) and reaches a height of 2–3 meters, maintaining an upright, densely branched habit. It was first introduced in 2024.
It has very decorative leaves that are unique. They are shallowly lobed, palmate, mid to dark green and coarsely toothed. If they turn yellow in summer the plant manifests too much water at the roots. They are either overwatered or planted in too heavy soil where it has not established yet.
Last update 31-08-2025
Regular pruning of Rose-of-Sharon is not ideal, because the plants naturally form attractive shrubs when grown in sufficiently moist soil. Nevertheless, many growers recommend annual pruning to obtain larger flowers. The drawback is that radically shortened shrubs bloom later, and some cultivars produce rather soft new shoots that may bend. The only pruning I recommend is reducing an already large, mature shrub, always in early spring before budbreak, and you can cut it back by up to 80%.
As for soil type, hibiscus is fairly undemanding. Only older plants dislike peat when being repotted. The soil must in any case be reasonably well‑drained, moderately fertile but not over‑fertilised. They love water, so as long as you make sure that newly planted specimens do not drown, you can place them even where they will have a good chance to drink well during the growing season. To improve flower set and flower size, you may use selective phosphorus‑based fertilisers (for flower formation), but it is not necessary. Place it in full sun — it requires strong, direct exposure. Like most summer‑flowering shrubs it leafs out rather late, so there is no need for concern if the plant shows no signs of life even in April. Fully hardy to at least –27 °C, and likely tolerates even stronger frost. Not suitable for containers.
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- STANDARD QUALITY - Plants of this group are 1st class quality with number of branches and overall density adequate to their size and age, considering they were container grown.
- DE LUXE QUALITY - This label guarantees a luxurious quality of manually selected plants that, compared to their height and age, are exceptionally dense and beautiful.
- EXTRA - These plants are usually mature and bigger specimens with exceptional overall appearance.
- STANDARD (as described in the plant form) means a tree with a trunk of 190-210 cm and a crown at the top, unless specified differently. The commercial size for trees is their girth measured in the height of 1m from ground.
- HOBBY - These plants are of the same quality as our standard-quality plants but younger and therefore cheaper.
- SHRUB - a woody plant with branches growing bushy from the ground level.
- HALF-STANDARD or MINI-STANDARD - a small tree with shorter trunk, its size is usually specified.
- FEATHERED - These are trees with branches growing already from the base of the trunk and up along the stem.
- GRASSES and PERENNIALS - Sizes given usually read the diameter of the pot or the clump, as specified.
