One of our most conspicuous summer-flowering shrubs is Rose of Sharon. In the U.S., that name almost always means
Hibiscus syriacus, a shrub native to east Asia. The common name can be applied to any number of different plants in other places around the world.
But our Rose of Sharon has large Hibisicus flowers that come in different colors and are highly prized.
Bees like them almost as much as humans do.
Unfortunately, so do Japanese Beetles.
We have some Rose of Sharons that came from my grandmother's house in Tampa -- and hers came from her sister's house in Troy, Alabama.
ReplyDeleteI'm reminded of the girl in GRAPES OF WRATH whose name was Rosasharn -- it was some time before I realized where that name came from.