Rose of Sharon

I am the rose of Sharon, the lily of the field. - Song of Solomon 2.1

“The sunrise never failed us yet”

 Celia Thaxter

Looking like a supplicant to the morning sun this Hibiscus syriacus  steadfastly resists those contradictory  assaults of both humidity and drought that have  plagued East Texas this whole year.

Here's  a flock of them, dancing on the leaves - humming birds and butterflies  find them irresistible

These blossoms look like Hibiscus syriacus ‘Helene’  and may well be but that's not the way  this bush started out it's garden life with me. My daughter had a lovely double pink Hibiscus syriacus - I admired it often.  One Sunday she sent 2 slips of her plant home with me and I promptly planted them.  They did well but of course did not bloom that 1st year. The next year the man who was doing my lawn work for me  disliked Hibiscus syriacus intensly, cutting mine down to grass height on at least 3 times. The bush has never had even one double pink bloom but this bush, with it's blooms of  a flaming red heart set against  a field of white ,  is a survivor.   I love it.

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