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Helene Rose of Sharon

Helene Rose of Sharon

Hibiscus syriacus 'Helene'

Item #0226 USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 - 9

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Plant Description

White, heavily ruffled flowers with reddish purple eyes complement handsome, leathery dark green leaves. Dense, upright growth is more compact than others. Blooms nearly continuously over a long season, and rarely sets seeds. Tolerates air pollution. Makes a wonderful informal hedge or screen, and is easily trained into a small tree. Deciduous.

  • Overview
    Light Needs:
    Partial to full sun
    Watering Needs:
    Water regularly - weekly, or more often in extreme heat or containers.
    Average Landscape Size:
    Moderate growing; reaches 6 to 9 ft. tall, 6 ft. wide.
    Key Feature:
    Elegant Summer Flowers
    Blooms:
    Summer
    Landscape Uses:
    Border, Coastal Exposure, Container, Firescaping/Fire Wise, Hedge, Mass Planting, Privacy Screen, Specimen, Urban Garden
  • Detail
    Botanical Pronunciation:hi-BIS-kus si-ri-A-kus
    Plant type:Shrub
    Deciduous/evergreen:Deciduous
    Growth rate:Moderate
    Average landscape size:Moderate growing; reaches 6 to 9 ft. tall, 6 ft. wide.
    Special features:Compact Form, Tolerates Urban Pollution, Waterwise
    Foliage color:Green
    Blooms:Summer
    Flower color:Multicolored
    Flower attributesFlowers for Cutting, Long Bloom Season, Showy Flowers
    Garden styleContemporary, Cottage, Rustic
    Companion PlantsHydrangea (Hydrangea); Viburnum (Viburnum); Lilac (Syringa); Lavender (Lavandula); Phlox (Phlox)
  • Care
    Care Information
    Adaptable to most well-drained soils except very wet or dry. Water deeply, regularly during first growing season to establish extensive root system. Once established reduce frequency; tolerates brief periods of drought. Apply fertilizer before new growth begins in spring. Prune after flowering to shape and promote vigorous new growth.Pruning time: late fall or winter.
    Light Needs:
    <strong>Partial Sun / Partial Shade</strong>: These two terms are often used interchangeably to mean 3-6 (or 4-6) hours of sunlight each day. However, there is a difference. <strong>Partial shade</strong> typically means the plants will appreciate a more gentle exposure such as the weaker morning or early afternoon sun, with the emphasis on providing the minimum needed shade and sheltering from intense late afternoon sun. <strong>Partial sun</strong> typically means the plants <u>need</u> some direct sun, so the emphasis is on meeting the required minimum hours of sunlight, with filtered sunlight or shade the balance of the day. Both are best with shelter from the harshest late afternoon sun. This shade could be provided by a structure, a wall, larger plants or tree(s).
    Partial to full sun
    Watering Needs:
    Water needs: Moderate
    Water regularly - weekly, or more often in extreme heat or containers.
  • History & Lore
    History:
    A U.S. National Arboretum Plant Introduction, Helene is a sterile triploid with a more compact form than the species Hibiscus syriacus. In 1971, a number of crosses were made between diploid Hibiscus seedling selections of (H. syriacus 'Suminokura-yae' x H. syriacus 'William R. Smith'),(H. syriacus 'Blue Bird' x H. syriacus 'Hanagasa'), or (H. syriacus 'Sokobeniyae' x H. syriacus 'William R. Smith') and colchicine-induced tetraploid seedlings ofH. syriacus 'William R. Smith'. The resulting triploids, 'Helene', 'Minerva', and 'Aphrodite' were released in 1980, 1986 and 1988, respectively.