Hibiscus syriacus
| Hibiscus syriacus | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 10' |
| Width: | 7' |
| Speed: | Moderate |
| Blooms: | Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Hibiscus syriacus (common name: rose of sharon)
Propagation: Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse. Germination is usually fairly quick. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first year. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer.
Some reports say that the seed can be sown in situ outside and that it gives a good rate of germination[1][2][3].
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Good percentage[3].
Cuttings of mature wood, early autumn in a frame. Good percentage[3].
Layering in mid summer to early autumn[4].
Cultivation: Prefers a well-drained humus rich fertile soil in a sheltered position in full sun[5]. Succeeds in any soil of good or moderate quality[6]. Dislikes shade or badly drained soils[6]. Plants grow best with their roots in cool moist soil and their tops in a hot sunny position.
This species is hardy to about -20°c[5] but plants only really succeed in the warmer counties of Britain because of their late flowering habit[7]. When planted in colder areas of the country, they will need protection for the first few winters[5]. The flowers only open in sunny weather[8].
Plants rarely require pruning[8], though they respond well to pruning and trimming and this is best carried out in the spring or just after flowering[8].
Plants are late coming into leaf, usually around the end of May or early June[9].
A very ornamental plant[4], there are many named varieties[9].
Range: E. Asia - China to India. Locally naturalized in S. Europe.
Habitat: Found wild on mountain slopes, though the original habitat is obscure[10].
Edibility: Young leaves - raw or cooked[11][12][13][14]. A very mild flavour, though slightly on the tough side, they make an acceptable addition to the salad bowl[K].
A tea is made from the leaves[11][12][15] or the flowers[14].
Flowers - raw or cooked[10][16][14]. A mild flavour and mucilaginous texture, they are delightful in salads, both for looking at and for eating[K].
Root - it is edible but very fibrousy[17]. Mucilaginous, without very much flavour[17].
Medicinal: The leaves are diuretic, expectorant and stomachic[18][15].
A decoction of the flowers is diuretic, ophthalmic and stomachic[19][20][18]. It is also used in the treatment of itch and other skin diseases[15], dizziness and bloody stools accompanied by much gas[19].
The bark contains several medically active constituents, including mucilage, carotenoids, sesquiterpenes and anthocyanidins[21]. A decoction of the root bark is antiphlogistic, demulcent, emollient, febrifuge, haemostatic and vermifuge[18][15]. It is used in the treatment of diarrhoea, dysentery, abdominal pain, leucorrhoea, dysmenorrhoea[15][21] and dermaphytosis[19].
Usage: A low quality fibre is obtained from the stems. It is used for making cordage and paper[10].
The seed contains about 25% oil[10]. No further details are given, but it is likely to be edible.
A hair shampoo is made from the leaves[10].
A blue dye is obtained from the flowers[22].
This species is planted as a hedge in S. Europe[23].
Pollinators: Insects
Notes: All parts of this plant are edible - the leaves are very good for the digestive system. If you want the seeds then you are going to have to site this plant very carefully. The seed does not fall readily from the plant.
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Althaea frutex.
Links
References
- ↑ Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ McMillan-Browse, Philip. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books, 1985.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Dirr, Michael and Charles Heuser. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press, 1987.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Shrubs. Pan Books, 1989.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Grey-Wilson, Christopher and Victoria Matthews. Gardening on Walls. Collins, 1983.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Thomas, Graham. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray, 1992.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Read, Bernard. Famine Foods Listed in the Chiu Huang Pen Ts'ao. Taipei Southern Materials Centre, 1977.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Cribb, Alan and Joan Cribb. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana, 1976.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Revolutionary Health Committee of Hunan Province. A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press.
- ↑ Stuart, George. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei Southern Materials Centre.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Medicinal Plants in the Republic of Korea. World Health Organisation, 1998.
- ↑ Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.
- ↑ Tutin, Tom et al.. Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, 1964.