Hibiscus syriacus Sugar Tip - Rose of Sharon

The Hibiscus syriacus 'Sugar Tip' is a very beautiful recent variety of rose of Sharon with a compact upright habit, whose double flowers are a soft pink with a dark purple heart, ephemeral but constantly renewed, blooming abundantly from August to October, without producing fruits. Its foliage, irregularly edged with cream, adds to its charm. As a flowering hedge, in a flower bed or in a large container near the house, this hardy shrub is easy to grow in the sun and adapts to any well-drained ordinary soil, even dry and chalky. Bees and other pollinators also greatly appreciate its flowers.

The Hibiscus syriacus, sometimes called Rose of Sharon or Tree Mallow, is a very hardy deciduous shrub in our climate, but evergreen in warm climates, belonging to the Malvaceae family, just like hollyhocks and marshmallows. It is native to temperate regions of Asia and has given rise to numerous cultivars, including the 'Diana' variety, which stands out for its vigorous and rather upright growth, and its abundant flowering from August to October.

'Sugar Tip' is a very floriferous and vigorous variety of rose of Sharon, also known as 'America Irene Scott', discovered in 2001 in the USA. It is a fairly slow-growing shrub, reaching about 1.80 m (6ft) in height and 1.50 m (5ft) in spread, supported by an upright branching structure. It offers double-coloured corollas, a soft pink shade with a dark purple heart, around a central column of fused stamens that is not very visible, hidden by the undulating petals. The absence of fruits limits maintenance and prolongs flowering, which begins in August and continues until October. Its foliage forms a very light and variegated backdrop, olive green with cream. The leaves are alternate, lobed, oval to lanceolate, with toothed and undulating edges, measuring about 10 cm (4in) long. The foliage appears late in spring and falls in November.

Rose of Sharons have the advantage of flowering abundantly at a time when few shrubs are in bloom in the garden, in almost all soils and under all climates. 'Sugar Tip' Rose of Sharon likes bright and warm exposures, tolerates drought well compared to other varieties. This Hibiscus requires little maintenance and grows slowly but steadily. Plant it in a sheltered location from strong winds, in soil that remains slightly moist until the end of summer. This excellent variety can be used as a 2 m (7ft) hedge, in combination with other hibiscus with different colors, buddleias, abelias, as well as in isolation or at the back of a romantic perennial bed composed of asters, phlox, daylilies, gauras or shrubby mallows, for example.

Tip: In regions with cool and rainy summers, prefer single-flowered forms of hibiscus over double-flowered ones, which only thrive with a lot of heat.