Hibiscus: Rose Of Sharon 'lucy' is not sterile, 0 by Michael_Ronayne

Michael_Ronayne wrote:
Given the role which Hibiscus syriacus ‘William R. Smith’ played in the creation of some of our modern Rose of Sharon cultivar, I wanted to learn about the history of this Hibiscus and found surprising little information about this plant and too much information associate with the word “Smith”. By dividing the Twentieth Century into time slices and working me way backwards, I finally found the following reference from 1917.

Garden & Home Builder, Volume 25 By Leonard Barron
The Garden Magazine, March, 1917 (Page 94)
http://books.google.com/books?id=YPfmAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA94

"Hibiscus syriacus var. William R. Smith. A new white Rose of Sharon, flowers fully four inches in diameter, opening out flat."

Hibiscus syriacus ‘William R. Smith’ is almost 100 years old which qualifies it as an heirloom Hibiscus. We still don’t know who originate this Hibiscus syriacus or exactly who William R. Smith was but one likely candidate is William Robertson Smith (1828 -1912) who became Superintendent of the United States Botanic Gardens in the District of Columbia in 1863.

The Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
Volume 3, 1917 (Page 1597)
By Liberty Hyde Bailey
William Robertson Smith
http://books.google.com/books?id=72EDAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA1597

There was also a Scottish clergyman by the name of William Robertson Smith (1846 – 1894), which is of interest because this Hibiscus is sometimes identified as the Rev. William R. Smith.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Robertson_Smith

Given the date of death for the American horticulturist and the introduction of this Hibiscus syriacus, I suspect it was named for the horticulturist and not the clergyman; also, there is no title affixed to the name in the The Garden Magazine report. More research is required but I now know within a few years of where to search.

When using Google it is quite common that you have to ask the same question several different ways to find all the answers. When I did this I found two additional 1917 reports on the new Hibiscus syriacus ‘William R. Smith’. All of the reports appeared in American magazines and there was no indication as to the source of the new Hibiscus.

Gardeners' Chronicle of America, Volume 21
Jan 1, 1917 (Page 53)
http://books.google.com/books?id=DB5IAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA53

"Althaeas (Rose of Sharon).—Personally, I must say that I care only for two varieties—the single white, Tatus albus, a slow grower, but exceptionably fine, and Beatrice, single pink; both do not need much pruning. There is a new variety out, William R. Smith, a giant, flowering with 4-inch white single flowers."

The Touchstone, Volume 1, May 1917 – September 1917
By Mary Fanton Roberts (Page 350)
http://books.google.com/books?id=-OfVAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA350

"Althaea, the Rose of Sharon, a near relative, is almost as useful in a garden as the hollyhock. Its chief service is as a hedge plant for it is a strong, hardy shrub, and its blooming time is from August to October, when there are but few other shrubs putting forth color. It is symmetrical of habit and decorative of coloring. The fivepetaled blossom is very much like a single hollyhock, or, as its name suggests, a wild rose.

There are both single and double varieties in many shades of pink, red, white and a bluish white with crimson centers. Foliis variegatis is easily distinguished by its variegated green and white leaves. A new Giant-flowered Althaea, William R. Smith, produces wonderful white flowers four inches or more in diameter. These shrubs are frequently used as division hedges between suburban yards, serving a purpose similar to that of the California privet. The huge blossoms, however, give it greater beauty.

Another relative of the hollyhock, which is rapidly increasing in usefulness, known as the Mallow Marvel, has been developed from our lovely native marsh mallows. The plant is shapely, bushy, puts forth flowers fully nine inches across and thrives in ordinary garden soil. This is one of the most useful of modern productions and strange to say, though descended from a marsh loving flower, it does its best in garden soil."

The last reference has some interesting insights about the development of our modern Hibiscus. Read the entire report in Google Books.

A photograph of William R. Smith can be found on page number 29 of the following US Government Printing Office document.

The United States Botanic Garden
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-CDOC-109sdoc19/pdf/GPO-CDOC...

Mike

This message was edited Nov 4, 2012 6:22 PM