Hibiscus syriacus 'SPECIOSUS' 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.
Speciosus is an elegant, semi‑double cultivar of rose of Sharon dating back to the first half of the 19th century. It bears medium‑sized, snow‑white flowers with a pronounced wine‑red eye. The blooms are usually 7�9 cm across and consist of two rows of larger petals accompanied by an inner ring of shorter, irregular, partly petaloid segments that form a lightly frilled core. Despite this structure, the flower appears surprisingly clean and refined, offering a striking contrast between the bright white field and the deep, almost burgundy centre. It flowers reliably each year, typically from early July into early September, often with a very even distribution of blooms along the length of the shoots. The colour of the eye remains strong even in cooler summers and maintains a clear contrast against the white petals. Thanks to its semi‑double form it does not suffer from bud abortion and continues flowering well during rainy periods.
The deciduous leaves are 5�7 cm long, three‑lobed, shallowly cut, medium to dark green, with a coarsely serrated margin and a distinctly ornamental shape. The shrub grows upright at a moderate rate (25�35 cm a year), reaching around 1.5�3 m in height and 1�1.5 m in width, forming a dense, well‑branched habit. �Speciosus� is well suited to traditional gardens, as a specimen or in mixed plantings, where the contrast of its pure white flowers and dark eye stands out beautifully.
Last update 01-04-2020; 22-06-2026
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.
