Hibiscus syriacus 'Minsyrou17' SUP'BRIDGE® 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.
SUP‘BRIDGE® Rose-of-Sharon boasts large, 10-12 cm wide, purple pink flowers with a small, deep maroon eye in the centre. They are single and unlike most other varieties they have 6 petals. Still, SUP’BRIDGE is still very new to confirm whether this a rule or an exception. Flowering begins in July and lasts until all buds have gone - sometimes by end September. The plant grows into a densely branched, upright shrub.
It has very decorative leaves that are unique. They are shalowly 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 over-watered or planted in too heavy soil where it has not established yet.
Pruning is an issue that always gets me started here. Hard pruning leads to larger flowers, that's true, but also production of long, immature, flexible twigs. The only cut I recommend is such that rejuvenates old plans – prune it hard in early spring by 50-75 % and let it grow for another 10 years or so.
SUP‘BRIDGE® is an improvement over an older variety Woodbridge selected by French nursery Pepinieres Minier. It was granted an EU patent 58607 in 2021.
Last update 20-09-2021
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.
