The start of August brings us to a new month of floral celebration within the garden. August bursts with many cool-toned blooms throughout the garden including the start of hostas, Japanese anemones, and Rose of Sharon. Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) is a type of hibiscus that grows into a small tree. Its flowers are usually white, reddish, or purple and each petal is marked with crimson at the base. Each flower lasts only one day.
Despite the root of the Latin name, Hibiscus syriacus does not originate from Syria. The species originates from Korea and China. It was brought to the Middle East via the Silk Road in the 16th century. Carl Linnaeus, the “father of modern taxonomy,” mistakenly assumed it arrived in Europe directly from Syria. In contrast, in Chinese the name is very easy to remember: 木槿 Mùjǐn or “woody hibiscus.”
(Photo by Charlie Zhang)
(Photo by Charlie Zhang)
Hibiscus is an emblematic symbol of late summer and early fall to China. A type of hibiscus that we don’t currently have in our collection at Lan Su, but I would love to have in the future is Hibiscus mutabilis or 木芙蓉 Mùfúróng. This beautiful species is the most celebrated Hibiscus in China due to the fact that its flowers open white in the morning and change to a dark pink by the end of the day. Due to this amazing process, it is also nicknamed 醉酒芙蓉 Zuìjiǔ Fúróng, or “Drunken Hibiscus.” Its native range is from south to southwest China and the city of Chengdu is known as Hibiscus City due to its profusion of plants. The Garden Flowers of China (Li, 1959) states, “When in bloom, the whole city appeared like a piece of pink silk when viewed from a distance…”
Hibiscus mutabilis blooms in morning, mid-day, and afternoon. (Photo by George Wu)
During my time spent in Zhejiang Province, I witnessed many double-flowered Hibiscus mutabilis growing along waterways. In Chinese art, you will often witness hibiscus paired with dragonflies or kingfishers since they grow near water. You will also see hibiscus and sweet osmanthus paired together to form the phrase 荣华富贵 rónghuá fùguì, meaning “may you attain great wealth and high social status.” Hibiscus (fù róng) is a homophone for “wealth” and “glory” while the word for osmanthus (guì) is a homophone for “honor.”
While you may have never experienced the glory of the infamous hibiscus in its native range, the good news is that many species of hibiscus grow very readily in our Pacific Northwest climate! Or, if you don’t have a garden of your own (or the space left to plant one, let’s face it!) we invite you to join us at Lan Su for a botanical celebration of the hibiscus this August.
Josie Losh
Curator of Horticulture
Lan Su Chinese Garden
P.S. Don’t forget to join our Horticulture team for free #PlantWednesday tours every week at 11 AM!
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