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Category: Garden History | Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 2:39 am

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Confederate Rose, Day One ( photo / image / picture from Accidental Gardener's Garden )

A few years ago my wife's best friend gave me a cutting and said that every Southern garden needed a Confederate Rose. She added that it was easy to grow, requires no expertise and loves the conditions in our area. Well, Sallye could not have been more correct as that little cutting is now a full grown bush that keeps coming back year after year. I did not give much thought to this plant until I read an article in the Alabama Master Gardener Assn. newsletter. The article was titled 'The Legend of the Confederate Rose'. I am not a Master Gardner even though I play one in my garden, but a number of my friends are and I appreciate receiving the email newsletters. They are so full of interesting articles and ideas. Below is the Legend of the Confederate Rose.

Once the Confederate Rose was pure white. During the Civil War, a soldier was fatally wounded in battle. He fell upon the rose as he lay dying. During the course of the two days he took to die, he bled more and more on the flower, till at last bloom was covered with his blood. When he died, the flower died with him. Thereafter, the Confederate Rose (or Cotton Rose), opens white, and over the course of the two days the bloom lasts, they turn gradually from white to pink to almost red, when the flower finally falls from the bush.
The Confederate Rose or hibiscus mutablis is actually a Chinese import. Brought into English gardens in the 1600's, it is said to have gained favor in the South due to its ease of cultivation during the hard financial times after the Civil War. The hibiscus mutablis is a member of the hibiscus family which includes both the tropical hibiscus and the hardier Rose of Sharon. It is considered a large bush or a small multi-stemmed tree. The plant roots easily from cuttings, has few pests and roots easily from cuttings, has few pests and grows vigorously during the summer. Once established it is drought resistant. The blooms appear in the fall.

Again my thanks and recognition to the AMGA Newsletter for 85% of the content of this blog.


Confederate Rose, Day Two ( photo / image / picture from Accidental Gardener's Garden )





Last edited: Tue Nov 17, 2009 2:41 am

This blog entry has been viewed 17530 times

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Frank wrote on Tue Nov 17, 2009 6:26 am:

I'll post the link in case anyone wants to sign up for this newsletter:

http://www.alaskamastergardeners.org/

Interesting blog entry AG.

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gfreiherr wrote on Tue Nov 17, 2009 12:05 pm:

I have never seen the confederate rose in our garden centers, probably because they would be considered tropicals for Zone 7. Love the history, thanks for sharing.

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