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rose of Sharon

 
Dictionary: rose of Sharon
 

n.
  1. A small eastern Asian tree or tall shrub (Hibiscus syriacus) having large reddish, purple, or white flowers and coarsely toothed leaves. Also called althea.
  2. A shrubby Eurasian evergreen plant (Hypericum calycinum) having oblong leaves and yellow flowers and usually grown as a ground cover. Also called Aaron's beard.

[After the Plain of SHARON.]


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Shrub or small tree (Hibiscus syriacus, or Althaea syriaca) in the mallow family, native to eastern Asia but widely planted as an ornamental for its showy flowers. It can grow to 10 ft (3 m) and generally assumes a low-branching pyramid shape. The mallowlike flowers range from white and pinkish-lavender to purple, generally with a crimson base; some varieties have double flowers. The name also sometimes refers to the unrelated Aaron's-beard (Hypericum calycinum), a shrubby relative of St.-John's-wort.

For more information on rose of Sharon, visit Britannica.com.

 
Columbia Encyclopedia: rose of Sharon
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rose of Sharon, common name for several plants, especially Hibiscus syriacus, of the family Malvaceae (mallow family), and for St.-John's-wort, i.e., any species of the genus Hypericum of the family Hypericaceae (St.-John's-wort family). The Malvaceae are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Malvales. The Hypericaceae are similarly classified, but in the order Theales.


 
Wikipedia: Hibiscus syriacus
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Rose of Sharon

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Genus: Hibiscus
Species: H. syriacus
Binomial name
H. syriacus
L.
Synonyms

Althaea frutex Hort. ex Mill.

Hibiscus syriacus is a widely cultivated ornamental shrub in the genus Hibiscus. Common names include Rose of Sharon (especially in North America), Shrub Althea, and Rose of Althea.

It is a flowering shrub in the plant family Malvaceae native to much of Asia. It is vase-shaped, reaching 2-4 m in height. It is widely planted in areas with hot summers for its very attractive white, pink, red, lavender, or purple edible flowers.

Hibiscus syriacus is the national flower of South Korea. The flower appears in national emblems, and Korea is compared poetically to the flower in the South Korean national anthem.[1] The flower's name in Korean is mugunghwa (Hangul: 무궁화; Hanja: 無窮花). The flower's symbolic significance stems from the Korean word mugung, meaning "immortality".

Hibiscus syriacus is a popular ornamental shrub with many cultivars including 'Diana', 'Lady Stanley', 'Ardens', 'Lucy', and 'Blushing Bride' (photo below).

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Best of the Web: rose of Sharon
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Some good "rose of Sharon" pages on the web:


Gardening
hcs.osu.edu
 
 
 

 

Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Hibiscus syriacus" Read more