Randy's Plant Pick: Confederate Rose

For October, I'm featuring the Confederate Rose!

It is a type of hardy hibiscus–Hibiscus mutabilis, commonly called the Confederate Rose.

It does grow quite tall in one season, blooms typically in October and dies completely back to the ground in the fall/winter after a killing frost. There are both a single bloom and a double bloom variety.

Cuttings can be taken from the plant before a killing frost, but cuttings root the easiest in early spring. When it does not freeze, the Confederate Rose can reach heights of 12–15 ft with a woody trunk; however, a much bushier plant 5–6 ft high is more typical and provides more flowering.

The flowers are white in the morning, turning pink during noon and red in the evening of the same day. Temperature is the key to the color change.  As they warm up, they slowly turn pink.

Visit our ornamentals shrub page    for more tips on selecting and caring for shrubs.