Althea

Althea, Rose-of-Sharon

Hibiscus syriacus

Malvaceae (Mallow Family)

▲ mature, flowering shrub in summer

▲ twigs and leaves

▲ ▼ single flowered form

▲ mature, double-flowered form

▲ ▼ double flowers

Location on campus: just across pavement from southeast door of Karls Hall, at northwest corner of Craig Hall, north of loading dock of Craig Hall

Hibiscus syriacus: Rose-of-Sharon, Althea

• leaves deciduous, alternate, simple, palmately veined, 3-lobed with smaller teeth or lobes around margins; 2-4" long and 2/3 to equally wide; leaves medium to dark green and mostly glabrous
• stems rounded with slight rough texture on new growth, older stems gray; pith white with green border, continuous
• flowers single and double in pink, white, lavender, rose in pairs or solitary in leaf axils and terminal locations on new growth in mid summer to early fall; fruit is a capsule
• grows 8-12' tall and 2/3 as wide as vase-shaped upright shrub
• prefers full sun to part shade; soil adaptable except extreme wet or dry; prune out old stems regularly to maintain good vigor and flowering
• medium growth rate