The huge flowers are like moons, glowing pure white with a ruffled center. They begin in mid-summer, and they are often still blooming when frost arrives. The secret to the long blooming period is in the inability of this plant to create seeds – it puts all its energy into flowers instead. This makes dead-heading unnecessary, as the flowers simply fade and fall away. Without seeds, it can’t become a weed problem in your garden or a larger problem in the wild areas around your home. Wow, what a string of virtues in a plant that is also beautiful and so easy to grow.

Growing the White Chiffon® Rose of Sharon

Size and Appearance

The White Chiffon® Rose of Sharon is a medium-sized deciduous shrub that grows 12 to 24 inches a year, soon reaching 6 feet and ultimately growing to 12 feet tall and 6 feet wide, in good growing areas. The leaves are dark green and glossy, divided into three lobes, and a little less than 3 inches long.

Blooming begins around mid-summer, and continues more-or-less continuously well into fall, even until the first hard frost arrives. Each new branch produces a continuous profusion of blooms as it grows, and 1,000 blooms for the season on a single plant just 4 years old is normal. Each bloom develops from a fat, green bud, and opens into a broad circle of 5 petals. In the center of the bloom, there is a cluster of 30 to 40 tiny swirling petals, creating a double flower of great beauty. It is as if the moon has come to earth, wearing a garland of chiffon fabrics. Because of the double flower, few or no seeds are produced, so flowers simply wither and fall after a few days, and are gone – to be replaced by more and more.

Using the White Chiffon® Rose of Sharon in Your Garden

The White Chiffon® Rose of Sharon is the perfect way to keep your garden blooming through the second half of the season. Plant it behind or among spring shrubs, to keep the show coming. Grow it as a striking and unique lawn specimen. Plant a row for a reliable and neat casual screen for summer privacy and beauty. Young plants can also be grown for many years in large tubs.

Hardiness

You can grow the White Chiffon® Rose of Sharon right across the country, from zone 5 on, in all but the coldest areas. It grows especially well in areas with long, hot summers, exactly where it can be so hard to find summer blooms. In areas with cooler, damp summers choose a sheltered spot with plenty of sun. Plants in tubs can be left outside all winter from zone 7. In colder zones it is best to either plant it temporarily in a bed for the winter, or store it in a cold shed or garage. Light isn’t needed while there are no leaves, but it does need low temperatures.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

For a good display, plant the White Chiffon® Rose of Sharon in full sun. In very hot zones it can take a little afternoon sun, but shade will soon reduce flowering dramatically. Once established this plant is resistant to drought and even grows in salty soils and coastal areas. It grows in poor soils too, and almost anywhere where the soil is well-drained. Some soil preparation is always useful, but you will be amazed at how well this bush does in the toughest places. Just avoid wet ground.

Maintenance and Pruning

Although drought resistant, even established plants appreciate a deep soaking with water during hot and dry periods, and will respond with a big flush of flowers. Generally free of pests and diseases, and usually ignored by deer, it is incredibly easy to grow – it’s almost ‘plant and forget’ easy.

To control the size it can be pruned in early spring. Shorten back branches that grow in the previous year – you can cut them back to just 2 or 3 buds to keep it very compact, without sacrificing any flowering, for example in pot-grown plants. Otherwise leave 9 to 12 inches of stem, and remove a few of the oldest branches close to the ground, beginning after a few years. Don’t trim in summer, as this can greatly reduce flower production.

History and Origin of the White Chiffon® Rose of Sharon

Although called ‘rose’, the Rose of Sharon is a type of hibiscus, and often called ‘Hardy Hibiscus’. Known botanically as Hibiscus syriacus, because it first arrived in Europe from Syria, it is actually native to China and Korea. There have been different color forms available since it was first introduced around 1600. The variety we call White Chiffon® has only been around for less than 20 years, and it’s a fascinating story. Growing up in England around the end of World War II, Roderick Woods always loved plants, but he was directed into science when a boy, and became a renowned teacher and researcher of physiology and cell structure at Cambridge, Oxford and Edinburgh Universities. His love of plants never went away, though, and when he retired he started a whole new career breeding his enduring love, the Rose of Sharon. Pure pink became an obsession, and he bred many plants at his garden in Great Shelford, outside Cambridge. The result was a series he called Chiffon®, a name registered as a trademark by his American distributor, Spring Meadow Nursery, who released them as part of their Proven Winners® range. Available in several colors, we think that White Chiffon® is especially beautiful and valuable in the garden. Woods patented this plant in 2002 with the name ‘Notwoodtwo’.

Buying the White Chiffon® Rose of Sharon at The Tree Center

Plant the White Chiffon® Rose of Sharon and you will be rewarded with a profusion of blooms for months on end. These newer varieties have become incredibly popular, and they sell out fast, so order now – you won’t be disappointed.

Older varieties of Rose of Sharon needed regular dead-heading to keep them blooming, but new ones like Sugar Tip® don’t produce any seeds, so the blooms just drop and disappear, and the bush just keeps on blooming and blooming, often right until a hard frost puts the brakes on. It’s easy to have early color in your garden, but much harder to keep it going all season. Let the Rose of Sharon now make it easy for you.

Growing the Sugar Tip® Rose of Sharon

Size and Appearance

The Sugar Tip® Rose of Sharon will grow about 12 inches a year when young, so it won’t belong before you have a beautiful compact shrub about 6 feet tall. Although that is usually about its full height, under good conditions it can grow taller. It has a dense, bushy growth pattern, so it’s easy to keep it controlled with a yearly trim, so this is one bush that isn’t going to get ‘out of hand’. A deciduous shrub, it’s bushy and leafy right to the ground, and even before flowering begins you will be admiring the handsome foliage. The leaves are about 3½ inches long, with a long, tapering form accented by two broad side-lobes and a slightly jagged edge. Each glossy leaf has a bold white border, which really makes it attractive, and a bright garden feature for that alone. You will be amazed to see that even the flower buds have green and white-striped exteriors.

Flowering begins around July, or even earlier in hot zones, and continues unabated well into fall, sometimes even after the leaves have yellowed and fallen. Clusters of buds develop at the ends of every new stem, and these open in sequence, each bloom lasting about 3 days, but followed by an unending flow of new flowers week after week. Each bloom is about 2½ inches across, opening into a circle of 5 overlapping petals. But these are hardly noticed, instead it is the profusion of smaller petals in the center, twisting and curling, forming a bright ball of elegance and charm. The petals are a beautiful true bright pink, enhanced by touches of dark red at the base of many of them. The impact of these colorful blooms on the white and green foliage is simply beautiful. Spent flowers simply shrivel and fall, with no need for dead-heading.

Using the Sugar Tip® Rose of Sharon in Your Garden

With its bushy, compact form, the Sugar Tip® Rose of Sharon is a great addition to your shrub beds, bringing lots of color after the early flowering shrubs have finished for the year. Grow it along a path to be admired, or in a corner beside steps, or flanking an entrance. It’s also perfect in planters – so colorful it needs nothing more – and brightens terraces, patios and porches so easily.

Hardiness

Hardy even in zone 5, the Sugar Tip® Rose of Sharon grows in hotter zones too, relishing hot, sunny weather, which gives maximum blooming. From zone 7 a plant in a pot can be left outdoors all winter, but in cooler zones, it is best to slide it out of the pot into a bed temporarily, before the ground freezes. Alternatively, you can store it in a cool shed or garage. It doesn’t need light in winter, but it does need low temperatures, so don’t bring it into a warm room.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

You will have the greatest success with the Sugar Tip® Rose of Sharon if you grow it in full sun, especially where summers are not so hot. Some organic material at planting, and regular watering until it is growing vigorously, is valuable, but always plant in well-drained soil. It will grow well in almost all kinds of soils – just avoid wet places, especially during the winter months.

Maintenance and Pruning

Opinions vary on how much, if at all, deer will bother with your Sugar Tip® Rose of Sharon, but everyone agrees that it is pretty much free of other pests or diseases. Don’t over-water, especially in cooler areas, but in hot places with very dry weather, it pays to give even an established plant a deep, thorough soaking from time to time. When grown in a tub, make sure you have a drainage hole, and only water when the top few inches are dry – but water thoroughly when you do.

As for pruning, it’s optional, but if you want to keep your bush nice and compact, trim back last year’s stems to between 6 and 12 inches, in early spring. In tubs, or on full-size plants, cut back harder, leaving just 2 or 3 buds for new growth.

History and Origin of the Sugar Tip® Rose of Sharon

Rose of Sharon is a species of hibiscus called Hibiscus syriacus. It’s closely related to the tropical hibiscus you might have grown as a houseplant, and wild plants have similar, if smaller, blooms. This plant has been grown in Europe since around 1600, when it came via Syria, where it had arrived long before along the Silk Route from China, its native home. This plant was incredibly popular until around the middle of last century, when it fell out of fashion. With new varieties that don’t make seed its enjoying a big revival.

Many of our new plants are created by professional breeders, but the Sugar Tip® Rose of Sharon was found by an amateur gardener called Sharon Gerlt, who lives in Independence, Missouri. She had a plant of an old variety called ‘Lady Stanley’, and one day in 2001 she spotted a unique branch on that bush. It had different-looking flowers, and the green leaves had a broad edge of creamy white. She sent it to Tim Wood, Product Development Manager at Spring Meadow Nursery, Michigan. He helped her patent her discovery, and they released it as Sugar Tip® among their Proven Winners® range. It’s official botanical name is ‘America Irene Scott’.

Buying the Sugar Tip® Rose of Sharon at The Tree Center

Get all-season beauty from a late-season bloomer – plant the Sugar Tip® Rose of Sharon in your garden. It’s truly adorable and hugely popular, so order now. Everyone wants one, but supplies are limited.

Growing the Purple Satin® Rose of Sharon

Size and Appearance

The Purple Satin® Rose of Sharon is a deciduous shrub that grows 2 feet a year to become an upright shrub 10 or 12 feet tall and 8 feet wide in warmer zones, and closer to 6 or 8 feet tall in cooler ones, or in a tub. It can be grown as a bushy shrub, or pruned up into a tree-like form. The leaves are divided into 3 lobes, with jagged edges, and they are slightly leathery, glossy, deep green and 3½ inches long. It’s a handsome shrub even before blooming gets going.

Flowers start to appear in mid-summer, and they keep going well into fall, not slowing down even if you don’t dead-head, because this is a sterile variety that produces no seeds. Flowers just close naturally after about 3 days and drop to the ground. The blooms are 2 inches across, with a prominent central column of white stamens. The 5 broad petals flare outwards, and they are deep purple-pink, with a flaring blotch of dark red at the base of each one, forming a star pattern. Blooming is profuse and continuous, making a great show in your garden.

Using the Purple Satin® Rose of Sharon in Your Garden

Wherever you want summer color, that is where to grow the Purple Satin® Rose of Sharon. Plant it in sunny shrub beds, or out on a small lawn. Grow it by a door or gate, or in a tub or planter box to brighten a porch, terrace or patio.

Hardiness

The Purple Satin® Rose of Sharon is hardy in zone 5, yet it is just as reliable in zone 9. It loves sun and heat, so plant in a sheltered spot in cooler zones. It thrives in hot weather, and grows well in all the hottest zones. In a tub, it can be left out all winter from zone 7 – in colder zones take it out of the pot and plant it in a bed for the winter, then re-pot in spring.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun is best for the Purple Satin® Rose of Sharon, it will bloom profusely. In hot zones, it will still be happy with an hour or two of shade in the afternoon. It grows easily in almost any soil, enjoying heat and dryness once established. Don’t plant in areas that are wet, especially if that is in winter, and especially not in cold zones.

Maintenance and Pruning

It might look delicate, but the Purple Satin® Rose of Sharon isn’t bothered by any serious pests or diseases, and deer leave it alone (usually). Yellow leaves in summer mean you are overwatering, so cut back. In hot zones, a long, deep soak every week or so will really keep those flowers coming, but it will grow well even in dryer conditions. It is a good idea to prune in early spring once it has been growing for a few years, but it’s not essential. Trim back the stems that grew the previous year to 12 inches long, or to 2 or 3 buds on plants in pots. Avoid trimming in summer, as this reduces flowering.

History and Origin of the Purple Satin® Rose of Sharon

Rose of Sharon, Hibiscus syriacus, is sometimes called hardy hibiscus because it is a relative of the tropical hibiscus. It has been grown in Europe since 1600, arriving via Syria from China and India, along the ancient Silk Route. In previous centuries it was very popular, and grown in every garden. Last century it fell out of fashion, but it back again now, not just as an heirloom shrub, but a top-rated flowering beauty, with new varieties being created.

Plants are an important part of the economy of Belgium, and the government supports plant breeding at the Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in Melle. Johan Van Huylenbroeck is a breeder there, and in 1998 he crossed together a variety called ‘Floru’ with a very special plant called ‘Purple CV2’ he had brought from South Korea. In 2001 he picked out a striking seedling from that cross, and named it ‘ILVOPS’’. It was patented in 2018 by Spring Meadows Nurseries, of Grand Haven, Michigan. They released it as Purple in their trademarked range of Rose of Sharon bushes called Satin®. It is one of their Proven Winners®, their range of the latest exciting new shrubs.

Buying the Purple Satin® Rose of Sharon at The Tree Center

It’s great to see these new varieties of the Rose of Sharon becoming available, especially ones like Purple Satin®, which don’t produce seeds. It makes growing them so much easier, and they produce so many more blooms over a longer period they really take center stage in your summer and fall garden. We know how popular they are, now that this plant is back in fashion again, so order your plants now, because demand really is exceeding supply, and they will soon all be gone.

Growing the Orchid Satin® Rose of Sharon

Size and Appearance

The Orchid Satin® Rose of Sharon grows rapidly, adding 2 feet of height every year, so soon becoming an upright, rounded shrub of 10 or 12 feet tall and about 8 feet wide. In colder zones it will probably remain smaller, about 6 feet tall. This deciduous shrub has many branches growing from the base, and these also branch out freely, giving it a much more rounded and gentle look compared to older varieties that often look stiff and upright, with long, unbranched stems. The leaves are slightly leathery, with an attractive glossy surface and a dark green color. They are about 4½ inches long and 2½ inches across, divided into 3 distinct lobes, with jagged edges.

By mid-summer, typically in July, your bush will be in full bloom. Each branch can carry a dozen or more blossoms, and each blossom lasts 2 or 3 days, with more constantly opening. The blooms are large, almost 3½ inches across, with 5 broad petals flaring out. They are colored a gorgeous orchid pink and at the base of each petal is a large blotch of deep cherry red, with many long strands of color flowing upwards into the petals – simply gorgeous. Because this flower is sterile and doesn’t make any seeds it simply closes and quickly falls – no need to do tedious dead-heading. This also means all the energy of your plant is put into blooms, not seeds. So it keeps on blooming and blooming right through summer and well into fall.

Using the Orchid Satin® Rose of Sharon in Your Garden

This is a striking shrub, bursting into bloom just when all your spring and early summer shrubs have come to an end. Use it to extend interest in your garden beds, or plant it as a specimen on a lawn. Grow it near a door or gate, to enjoy coming or going, or plant it in a large tub or planter box for a patio, deck or terrace. It can be kept bushy, or pruned up into a small tree with a central trunk.

Hardiness

The Orchid Satin® Rose of Sharon is an incredibly hardy shrub, and thrives almost anywhere. It is hardy in zone 5, although some stems may be nipped back in winter, keeping it smaller. Everywhere else it thrives, and even with the thermometer well over 40, it keeps on going and going. If you grow it in a tub, it will overwinter in zone 7 or warmer zones. In zones 5 and 6 it is safer to remove it from the tub once it has lost all its leaves, and plant it in a garden bed. Dig it up in spring and re-pot.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

It is best to plant the Orchid Satin® Rose of Sharon in full sun, especially in cooler zones. It grows best in rich but well-drained soils, so add some organic material when planting, but it does well in any soil that isn’t wet.

Maintenance and Pruning

Pests and diseases are rare on the Orchid Satin® Rose of Sharon, and deer don’t normally eat it, so it’s pretty close to ‘pest free’ status. If you see the leaves yellowing in summer, that actually means you are over-watering, so cut back. Once established it is drought resistant, but benefits from a deep soaking every couple of weeks in dry summers, not from frequent sprinkles of water.

This bush can be grown without pruning, but for best results it is worth doing some in early spring. Shorten back the stems that formed last year to about 12 inches long. On older plants remove about one-third of the oldest branches low down at a side branch. This keeps it open and encourages lots of new growth. Don’t trim at all in summer – it flowers on new branches. In pots prune harder, back to 2 or 3 buds if you want. That will guarantee big flowers on a smaller bush.

History and Origin of the Orchid Satin® Rose of Sharon

Rose of Sharon, Hibiscus syriacus, is a species of hibiscus, related to the tropical hibiscus often grown as a houseplant. Rose of Sharon has a long history in our gardens, because it travelled along the ancient Silk Road from China and India to Syria. From there it arrived in Europe before 1600. In the 18th and 19th centuries it was hugely popular in America, and grown in every garden. Last century it fell out of favor, but today it is back in fashion again.

Johan Van Huylenbroeck breeds ornamental plants at the Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in Melle, Belgium. In 2000 he took pollen from a Rose of Sharon called ‘Red Heart’ and used it to pollinate a seedling plant he had previously raised. In 2003, among the seedlings that grew, he found one that was exactly what he wanted. He named it ‘ILVO347’, and was granted a patent in 2016, handing it over to Spring Meadows Nurseries, Grand Haven, Michigan. They released it as ORCHID in their trademarked range of Rose of Sharon varieties called Satin®, one of their Proven Winners® exciting new shrubs.

Buying the Orchid Satin® Rose of Sharon at The Tree Center

This great new variety is turning heads everywhere, and no wonder. With its new, more gentle look and huge classic flowers it’s going to be a winner in your garden. You will also love not having to dead-head, and how prolific it is as a bloomer. Order now, the demand for Rose of Sharon is sky-high, and our plants always sell out fast, especially reliable beauties like this one.

Growing the Danica Hardy Hibiscus

Size and Appearance

The Danica Hardy Hibiscus is a deciduous shrub that grows rapidly and vigorously into an upright, multi-stem bush 6 to 10 feet tall, and 4 to 8 feet wide. The larger sizes are usually seen when growing in hot zones. It can be grown as a rounded bush, or trimmed up to make a tree-like form. The glossy, dark-green leaves are smooth, with a slightly leathery texture. They are around 3 inches long, and divided into 3 lobes at the end, with irregular serrations around the edge.

When flowering begins depends a lot on where you live. In hotter areas, you will see the first blooms in June, but in most regions flowering begins later in the summer. Whenever it starts, new blooms open right into fall, even continuing while the leaves are turning yellow and falling. It can take the first frost to bring the blooms on this determined shrub to an end.

Each flower is an open ball of ruffled petals, up to 4 inches across. The outer petals are broader, while the inner ones are smaller and more ruffled and fluted. They are pale pink, shading to darker tones towards the ends, in irregular patterning. The tips of the petals are randomly touched with a bright deep red-pink, highlighting and emphasizing the beauty of this bloom. Flowers only last a day or two, but more and more buds just keep on being produced and opening, so blooming never stops. This variety produces few or no seeds, so the blooms simply wither and fall. Since no energy is taken making seeds, blooming is richer and more continuous than in other varieties. The abundance of blooms and the length of the season is simply amazing.

Using the Danica Hardy Hibiscus in Your Garden

Many shrubs bloom in spring and early summer, so the Danica Hardy Hibiscus, with its late blooming into fall, is one every garden needs. Grow it at the back of your shrub beds, behind smaller shrubs, or plant it out on the lawn as a striking specimen shrub. Use it to fill the corners of your yard, or plant a row, spacing 4 feet apart, for a great flowering screen. It is a good choice for a new garden, and it can also be grown in a big tub or planter.

Hardiness

The name ‘hibiscus’ sounds tropical, but this one is called ‘hardy’, because it really is. It grows readily across the country, from zone 5 into all the hottest and driest areas. Even if there is some winter damage, this plant blooms on new growth, so flowering won’t be affected.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Although the Danica Hardy Hibiscus will tolerate a couple of hours of shade each day, it really prefers to be right out in the sun, and there it will give you its best. It grows in almost any kind of soil, from acid to alkaline, and from clay to sand. It’s especially good for alkaline soils, since this variety doesn’t yellow, but stays green and healthy. Of course the best growth will be in richer soils, so add some organic material. The only thing it needs is good drainage, and it won’t thrive in soils that are regularly wet. Once established it is amazingly drought resistant.

Maintenance and Pruning

Watering when newly planted is always a good idea, and in very dry conditions the occasional deep soak with water works wonders. Pests or diseases are rarely problems. Some shrub fertilizer, especially on sandy soils, and a mulch over the roots in spring are useful, but not essential. Prune in spring to control the size. You can cut back growth from the previous year hard, just leaving 2 or 3 buds, to keep it smaller, or leave about 12 inches to develop a larger plant. On older plants take out a few of the oldest stems close to the base, to help your plant renew itself.

History and Origin of the Danica Hardy Hibiscus

The hardy hibiscus, Hibiscus syriacus, arrived in Europe from Syria in the 16th century, but it originally came from China, probably travelling along the famous Silk Road. It was incredibly popular in the 19th and early 20th century, especially in hot states. In those times it was usually called Rose of Sharon, or Althea.

The variety called ‘Variegata’ should not be confused with plants called ‘Variegatus’, which all have two-tone leaves in white and green. Gardeners in the state of Texas have always loved the hardy hibiscus, because it thrives in the heat there, and blooms like crazy. This variety was found by a nurseryman called Willis Gentry, who had a nursery in Laredo, Texas. He found it near, or even in, Mexico, probably in the 1970s. It could have been growing in a garden, or even as a wild escape, and certainly had a much earlier origin. Plants were passed down through different Texan nurseries, until a salesman for L.E. Cook Co, a wholesale nursery based in the San Joaquin Valley in central California, picked up a plant from Rainbow Gardens in San Antonio in 2005. Ron Ludekens at L.E. Cook trademarked the name Danica, and introduced it in 2010, first selling plants in 2012.

Buying the Danica Hardy Hibiscus at The Tree Center

It’s been a long road for this plant, from Texas to our farm, but we are thrilled to be able to offer you the Danica Hardy Hibiscus. You are going to love it, but order your plant(s) right away, because our stock is limited, so we won’t have them available for long – snap up this treasure right away.

Growing the Purple Pillar® Hardy Hibiscus

Size and Appearance

The Purple Pillar Hardy Hibiscus is a unique deciduous shrub that grows rapidly, soon reaching 6 feet tall, while just a foot wide. The branches grow straight up, with almost no side branching. Within just a few years it will be very tall, even over 15 feet, making a fully, bushy, and incredibly slim pyramid. At the base it will be no more than 3 feet wide. The small leaves are less than 3 inches long, a little leathery, with a smooth, glossy, rich-green surface.

In the warmest parts of the country blooming can begin in June, and a few weeks later in cooler areas. Once it starts it goes on and on without a rest, until the first hard frost – perhaps in November – brings it to an end. Each bloom lasts up to 4 days, and new ones keep opening, without a pause, making a column of blooms you won’t believe. The blooms are large, a full 4 inches across, shaped like a shallow bowl, in a beautiful shade of violet-pink – a light purple. The center of the flower is a rich purple-red, with rays like the sun radiating out into the purple. The first flowers have a dense center made up of many small twisted petals, forming a beautiful semi-double flower, and partly obscuring the central blotch. Later in the season the blooms become single, with a long central column of pollen-bearing stamens, like the traditional Rose of Sharon bloom – just as beautiful, and you get two types of blooms on the same bush. No seeds are produced, so the blooms just fall off cleanly when they are over, and none of the plant’s energy is wasted in seed production, so blooming never stops.

Using the Purple Pillar® Hardy Hibiscus in Your Garden

A unique bush like this deserves a show-case spot in the garden. Catch everyone’s attention growing it between the windows of your house, or between rounded shrubs. Grow it at the corner of a patio, on either side of a door or gate, or plant a row along a fence, where it gives lots of height, but takes almost no width. This is also a great pot-plant, growing well, if not quite as tall. It can be enjoyed even on a small balcony.

Hardiness

The Purple Pillar Hardy Hibiscus is very cold resistant, growing well even in zone 5, although there it may be shortened back a little by winter cold, but it won’t die. It grows especially well in hot, dry zones, all the way into zone 9.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Although an hour of two of shade each day will do no harm, plant your Purple Pillar Hardy Hibiscus in full sun for the best results. Avoid shady places, and wet soil. This plant grows best in well-drained soils, enjoying even poor urban soils, sandy soil, urban air pollution and even some salt spray from the ocean. Once established it is very drought resistant.

Maintenance and Pruning

It is very easy to grow this spectacular plant. Pests and diseases never seem to cause any serious problems, and deer usually won’t eat it. While incredibly drought resistant, a deep soaking from time to time in the heat of summer will do wonders for blooming and growth. Some spring fertilizer will push it to the maximum height, and an organic mulch over the roots, especially in hot areas, would be beneficial. You don’t need to prune, in fact that would reduce it’s height, but taking the top few inches off the stems in early spring will encourage strong stems. Don’t trim in summer – this can reduce flowering.

History and Origin of the Purple Pillar® Hardy Hibiscus

Andres Santiago had a plant nursery in Spain. In 2002 he was working among his plants when he spotted something odd among a row of seedling hardy hibiscus he was growing. It has lovely light-purple flowers, and was absolutely straight and slender. Sadly his nursery went out of business, but not before he had sent some cuttings of this strange plant to Francesco Gandini, a friend in Italy. A few years later a Dutch couple, Ad and Marinus van Aart, were visiting Italy and went to see Francesco’s nursery. There he found he was using this plant to make the tall stems needed to grow ordinary hardy hibiscus as trees. Marinus and Ad saw something very different in this plant, and took some pieces back to their nursery in Oudenbosch, The Netherlands. They named it after the man who found it, ‘Gandini Santiago’. In Europe it is sold as ‘Flower Power Purple’, but in America it was patented in 2015 and it is sold by Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc. of Grand Haven Michigan as Purple Pillar®, a trademarked name, and part of their Proven Winners® selection of exciting new plants.

Buying the Purple Pillar® Hardy Hibiscus at The Tree Center

One of the world’s biggest plant events is Plantarium, held in the Netherlands every year. In 2016 the Purple Pillar Hardy Hibiscus won a Silver Medal, a tribute to its novelty, and what a great plant it is. Now you can grow it too, but order right now, because these plants are flying out the gate, right to other lucky gardeners.

Growing the White Pillar® Hardy Hibiscus

Size and Appearance

The White Pillar Hardy Hibiscus is a unique deciduous shrub that grows in a narrow vertical shape. It grows rapidly, and young plants will soon reach 6 feet tall, while staying only a foot or so wide. The branches grow straight up, not out, and it keeps this narrow profile, forming within a few years a slender pyramid, up to 16 feet tall. Even then it will only be 3 or 4 feet wide. The branches are densely packed together, making a full, bushy plant. The leaves are small, just under 3 inches long, with a slightly leathery texture, a smooth, glossy surface, and they are rich green.

The spectacular flowers begin to appear in mid-summer, and as early as June in warm zones. They last well into fall, and in warm zones it often takes a hard frost in November to finally stop them. Individual flowers last for up to 4 days, and more and more buds keep on coming, creating a spectacle of continuous blooming. Each bloom is a full 4 inches across, and they are pure, pure white. The large petals spread out wide, and in the early part of the season the center of the flower contains many small twisted petals making a unique and striking semi-double flower. Later in the season they will be single blooms, with a long white central column of stamens, and just as beautiful. This variety produces no seeds, so the flowers fall off cleanly, and no energy is wasted on seed production – it all goes into making more blooms.

Using the White Pillar® Hardy Hibiscus in Your Garden

This unique plant brings you the opportunity to quickly create a striking accent tree in your garden, one that will bloom for months of the year. Plant it out on a lawn, alone or in a cluster of three plants. Grow it in beds among other flowering shrubs – its white blooms won’t clash with any other colors you have growing there. Create a wonderful slim hedge or screen for a restricted space without having to trim constantly.

Hardiness

The White Pillar Hardy Hibiscus is hardy from zone 5 to zone 9. In zone 5 some winter damage can occur, so it may not reach it full height. It thrives well in hot zones.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun is the best location for the White Pillar Hardy Hibiscus, but a couple of hours of shade each day will do no harm. Avoid shady spots, and wet spots too, because this plant loves well-drained soil. It grows in all soil-types, including poor soil in urban gardens, and it also tolerates urban air pollution and even a little salt spray.

Maintenance and Pruning

No special care is needed to grow the White Pillar Hardy Hibiscus well. Pests, diseases and deer are usually not a problem, and established plants are drought resistant. Some fertilizer in spring is useful, and a mulch of organic material over the roots will retain moisture. During the hottest and driest times of the year a deep soaking from time to time is valuable. No significant pruning is needed unless you want to control the height. Early spring, before the leaves appear, is the best time to prune, and you can shorten back the shoots from last year to keep it compact and very neat. Don’t trim in summer, as this can reduce flowering.

History and Origin of the White Pillar® Hardy Hibiscus

The hardy hibiscus, Hibiscus syriacus, is also known as Rose of Sharon or Althea. It is one of our oldest garden plants, and records show it was being grown in European gardens almost 500 years ago. It was very popular in the past, and it is having a big revival at the moment, with many new varieties coming into the market. Nothing, though, comes close to the variety called White Pillar®, which has an interesting origin.

In 2002 Andres Santiago was working at his nursery in Spain. Among a row of seedling hardy hibiscus growing there, he spotted one that was very different. It had a slender, upright form that he had never seen before, and purple flowers. The nursery went out of business, but he sent some of these unique plants to a friend in Italy, Francesco Gandini. A few years later Ad and Mario van Aart, who have a nursery in Oudenbosch, The Netherlands, were visiting that Italian nursery. Giandini was using this plant to create long, straight stems for grafting other hardy hibiscus as trees, but Mario saw things differently. He realized what a great plant this was for a specimen tree, and he brought it back to his nursery in The Netherlands. It became the Purple Pillar® Hibiscus, `Gandini Santiago`. In 2012 van Aart had a group of young plants of that variety growing in pots at his nursery in The Netherlands, and he spotted one with pure-white flowers, but the same narrow form. He named this plant ‘Gandini van Aart’, and in Europe it is sold as ‘Flower Tower White’. In America it has been patented. Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc. of Grand Haven Michigan has released it with the trademark name of White Pillar®, as part of their Proven Winners® selection of exciting new plant varieties.

Buying the White Pillar® Hardy Hibiscus at The Tree Center

This really is a unique and very special form of hardy hibiscus, and if you enjoy growing something that is different and beautiful, as well as easy to grow, then the White Pillar® Hardy Hibiscus is for you. Order now, as something this special will be gone very, very soon.

Growing the Strawberry Smoothie Hardy Hibiscus

Size and Appearance

The Strawberry Smoothie Hardy Hibiscus is a hardy deciduous shrub that grows rapidly into an upright bush that is over 6 feet tall and just 3 or 4 feet wide, with a full, slightly vase-shaped form. It naturally grows with branches down to the ground, but it can also be pruned and trained into a single stem or multi-stem small tree. The leaves are 3 to 4 inches long, with a slender base and wide, three-lobed tip. The edges are irregular serrations, and these leathery leaves are smooth, glossy and a rich, bright green that stays clean and fresh all summer. In fall they turn golden yellow.

Blooming starts early, often in June but certainly in July, and this is one of the longest blooming of any garden shrub. It will still be blooming away through fall, and it often takes a hard frost to stop it. Because it makes no seeds, all the energy of the plant goes into more and more flowers. The large blooms grow in clusters all along the stems, with a fresh flower in each cluster almost every day, and new clusters forming as the stems grow. Each bloom lasts 2 or 3 days, but they just keep on coming and coming. The beautiful flowers are a good 4 inches across, like a fluffy pom-pom, with many bright, fresh-pink petals. The center petals are slimmer, and at their base you will see, as the flower opens fully, a deep red splash, which runs up the veins a distance, and suffuses the petals with darker pink.

Using the Strawberry Smoothie Hardy Hibiscus in Your Garden

This versatile shrub can be grown as an eye-catching lawn specimen. It is perfect in any garden bed, at the back or in the middle with larger plants behind it. Grow it by your front gate to greet your visitors, or beside the front door. Make a flowering hedge or screen along a fence or driveway. Grow it in a large tub or planter box for a terrace, patio or balcony. Wherever you grow it you will love it.

Hardiness

All the way from zone 5 through zone 9 you can grow the Strawberry Smoothie Hardy Hibiscus. In zone 5 it may lose some stems to winter cold, but that doesn’t matter, because it soon re-sprouts and those new shoots bloom perfectly. It grows well in warmer zones – in fact, the hotter the better.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Grow the Strawberry Smoothie Hardy Hibiscus in full sun. It will also take a couple of hours of afternoon shade, especially in hot zones, but avoid very shady spots. It grows in any well-drained soil, from sand to clay and both acid and alkaline. It even grows in urban soils, tolerating urban air pollution and salt spray too. Avoid wet places, especially in cooler zones.

Maintenance and Pruning

Despite its beauty, this shrub needs only a minimum of care. Pests and diseases are rare, and deer normally leave it alone. Use fertilizer in spring for plants in beds, and regularly through the season for container plants. Established plants are drought resistant, but they benefit from a deep soaking from time to time during the hottest and driest times. We recommend some spring pruning, just before the new leaves emerge. Shorten last-year’s stems back to 12 inches, removing the thinner and weaker tip part. Remove some of the oldest stems close to the ground, to encourage vigorous new replacements. For plants in pots you can leave just 2 or 3 buds, and this will give you the largest flowers, on a compact bush.

History and Origin of the Strawberry Smoothie Hardy Hibiscus

One of the oldest garden plants, the hardy hibiscus, Hibiscus syriacus, was grown in Europe during the 15th century. It arrived there from Syria, where it had in turn arrived along the ancient Silk Route from India and China. It was very popular with the early settlers and grown at Monticello by Thomas Jefferson. Today it is enjoying a revival, and breeders are making striking improvements on the older plants.

Don Shadow has a nursery in Winchester, Tennessee, and there he breeds hardy hibiscus. Among his special seedlings he found one that was superb. He has applied for a patent with the name ‘DS02SS’, and the final approval is due soon. Meanwhile it has been rushed out for gardeners to enjoy. The Greenleaf Nursery Company of Park Hill, Oklahoma have released it as Strawberry Smoothie. Check out all the other wonderful blooms in this range.

Buying the Strawberry Smoothie Hardy Hibiscus at The Tree Center

If you love pink you will love this bush – and be delighted by just how easy it is to grow well, and how undemanding it is. Don’t hesitate long, because our limited supply is running out, so order now.

Growing the Raspberry Smoothie Hardy Hibiscus

Size and Appearance

The Raspberry Smoothie Hardy Hibiscus is a deciduous shrub with strong upright growth, quickly growing into a medium-sized shrub 6 to 8 feet tall and 3 or 4 feet wide. It has many stems from the base, although it can be pruned up into a tree-form as well. It branches naturally to develop a dense structure. The leaves are about 3½ inches long, and 2½ inches wide, with a slightly leathery texture and a smooth, glossy surface. They flare out from the base into three distinct lobes, edged with jagged, irregular serrations. They are rich green, and that color is held well, even though hot and dry weather. They turn bright yellow in late fall.

Blooming begins early compared to many other varieties. It can be in June, or into July. Once it begins, blooming continues non-stop through summer and fall, often only coming to an end when hit by a hard frost. The flowers are sterile, which means this plant produces no seeds, so it doesn’t waste energy on seed-pods. Instead it just keeps making more and more blossoms. This keeps it blooming much longer than older varieties you might have grown before. The bloom is simply amazing. It is 4 to 5 inches across with a shallow bowl of broad petals forming a backing for a swirling center of slender, twisted petals that create the heart of the bloom. It looks nothing like the old trumpet flowers of hardy hibiscus, and it is different from many of the pom-pom doubles too. The color is also amazing – a rich, bright, clean purple-red, with many variations in shade across the petals, with light and dark shades bringing enormous depth and beauty to the flower. Flowers last 2 or 3 days and then drop, without any deadheading being needed.

Using the Raspberry Smoothie Hardy Hibiscus in Your Garden

With its vibrant coloring you will love to grow this bush as a striking lawn specimen. Grow it behind smaller shrubs, or in the middle of your beds in front of spring-flowering trees – it’s very useful for getting a succession of blooms from your garden beds. With its striking flowers it is also perfect beside a door or gate, or excellent growing in a tub or planter on a terrace or patio. Heck, you can even grow it on a balcony, with no garden at all.

Hardiness

This plant thrives in warmer zones, and it is hardy all the way into zone 5. There it may have some branches killed in winter, but don’t worry about that. It soon sends up vigorous new shoots, and they bloom profusely, as this plant always blooms on new shoots. In warmer zones it will grow very well, including places with hot summers.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Grow the Raspberry Smoothie Hardy Hibiscus in full sun for the best results and the most prolific flowering. If it does have a few hours of shade in the afternoon this usually has little effect. Avoid too much shade. This tough shrub grows well in almost all soils, as long as they are well-drained. Avoid wet, low-lying areas, especially in cooler zones. It grows in hot areas, and once established it has good drought resistance.

Maintenance and Pruning

Established plants should have a deep soaking from time to time during the heat of summer. If the leaves turn yellow in summer it is often an indication of too much water, so cut back a little. Pests or diseases are rare, and deer usually leave it alone. In early spring a trimming will give good results. Shorten back last year’s stems to about 12 inches and remove about one-third of the oldest branches, opening the center to encourage new young branches. In pots trimming back to just 2 or 3 buds will encourage the largest flowers and keep your bush smaller for a smaller space. Don’t trim new stems at all in summer, as this will inhibit flowering.

History and Origin of the Raspberry Smoothie Hardy Hibiscus

Hibiscus syriacus, or the hardy hibiscus, is a relative of tropical hibiscus and of cotton and okra. It has been grown in gardens for centuries but grew wild in China and India. Plants traveled along the Silk Route to Syria, and from there it came to Europe before 1600. It was very popular in America in the 18th and 19th centuries but fell from interest last century. Today it has been revived, and wonderful new varieties keep arriving to charm and fascinate us.

Don Shadow has a nursery in Winchester, Tennessee, and he is a skilled breeder of hardy hibiscus. In the early part of this century he created a series of double-flowered varieties making up the Smoothie collection. The variety he called ‘DS03RS’ was found among seedlings he grew from some other varieties he had created. He selected it in 2007, and after trials he patented it in 2016. It has been released for our enjoyment with the name Raspberry Smoothie, by the Greenleaf Nursery Company of Park Hill, Oklahoma.

Buying the Raspberry Smoothie Hardy Hibiscus at The Tree Center

We love all the Smoothie range, but the unique flower of the Raspberry Smoothie really wins everyone’s hearts. It looks good enough to eat, but if you want to grow it, order right away, because these plants are selling faster than ice-cream on a hot day.

Growing the Peppermint Smoothie Hardy Hibiscus

Size and Appearance

The Peppermint Smoothie Hardy Hibiscus is a deciduous shrub growing 6 to 8 feet tall, with an upright form, so it is only 3 or 4 feet wide. The strong branches rise up and branch out, making a dense plant that always looks neat and full. It doesn’t flop and sprawl and clipping and trimming are just not needed. The leaves are rich, glossy green, and 2 to 3 inches long. They have a narrow base, spreading out into 3 rounded lobes, and the edges are cut into irregular zig-zags. The foliage is so rich and lush that this bush looks great right from early spring when its first leaves emerge. The leaves turn bright yellow in late fall.

Of course, it is the flowers we are here for, and what gorgeous flowers they are. 4 inches across, each bloom is a party-dress of ruffles and frills, with a full, rounded form made up of many petals, each one folded and ruffled along the edges. The basic color is clear, light and pretty pink, but in the heart of the bloom is a rich red center. That red color peeks out from among the petals, sometimes running along the veins. The background pink is highlighted by splashes and streaks of a darker pink, and each flower is subtly different from the next one. Blooming begins in June in warmer zones, and by July everywhere else. Each bloom lasts 2 or 3 days, but it is replaced by more and more, as the buds just keep on coming. This bush is sterile, so no seed-pods are produced. This means all the plant’s energy goes into making more blooms, and none of it is wasted on seed production. That also keeps it blooming and blooming, week after week and right into fall. Often it takes a hard frost to finally end the show.

Using the Peppermint Smoothie Hardy Hibiscus in Your Garden

The relatively compact size of this bush makes it a great choice for smaller gardens, smaller beds, and for growing in tubs and planters. It is perfect beside a doorway or garden gate, and it looks wonderful around an older home, but also in a modern urban garden. Plant a row for a fabulous flowering hedge that only needs one trim a year. Grow it out on a lawn as an eye-catching specimen.

Hardiness

The Peppermint Smoothie Hardy Hibiscus will grow anywhere from zone 5 to zone 9. It thrives in hotter zones, and it may have some winter damage in zone 5. That doesn’t matter, though, because it blooms on new stems, and these quickly shoot up once you trim away any dead branches. Blooming will be just as prolific.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Especially in cooler zones, full sun is best for the Peppermint Smoothie Hardy Hibiscus. In hot zones some afternoon shade is OK, and it can even be beneficial. This reliable plant grows in almost any soil, from clay to sand, as long as it is well-drained. Avoid wetter areas, especially in cooler zones.

Maintenance and Pruning

Very little maintenance is needed for this great shrub. Pests and diseases are very rare, and deer usually leave it alone. It tolerates urban air pollution and salt spray, and even grows well in poor city soil. A single trimming in early spring is all it needs to keep it looking perfect and flowering like crazy. Cut back the stems that formed in the previous year to about 12 inches long, and remove some of the oldest branches low down, to encourage vigorous new replacements. In pots you can trim back hard, to just 2 or 3 buds – this will produce the biggest flowers on a smaller, compact bush. Some fertilizer for flowering shrubs, applied in spring, is useful, and potted plants should be fed regularly. In summer water deeply from time to time to keep your bush growing and blooming vigorously.

History and Origin of the Peppermint Smoothie Hardy Hibiscus

The Hardy Hibiscus, Hibiscus syriacus, was more popular than roses in the south during the 19th century. Thomas Jefferson grew it at Monticello, and it had been a popular garden plant in Europe since the 16th century. It came originally from China and India and it is the national flower of Korea.

Don Shadow is a respected nurseryman with a nursery in Winchester, Tennessee. He started breeding and selected hardy hibiscus early this century, growing several promising varieties for further breeding. In 2007 he grew a batch of seedlings with seed from one of his own plants, and among those seedlings he found one with great promise. After growing it some more he patented this great plant as ‘DS04PS` in 2016, and it is released as Peppermint Smoothie by the Greenleaf Nursery Company of Park Hill, Oklahoma.

Buying the Peppermint Smoothie Hardy Hibiscus at The Tree Center

These blooms look so delicious you can almost smell that peppermint, and you will love growing this easy-care plant. Enjoy late blooms with little effort, but order your bushes right away, because great plants like this one sell out very fast.