Confederate rose, Cotton rose, H mutabilis anyone grow it?

Cuttings from this plant were given to me years ago. It comes back every year and blooms beginning around the end of September and on into October. The blooms on this Confederate rose open pink and stay pink, lasting only one day. I enjoy them all the more knowing summer is at an end. This year is a good one for it, the plants have grown 7 feet tall. The blooms are large and many...

Do you grow this lovely member of the Hibiscus family? Do you have photos you would care to share?

Hibiscus mutabilis...

I got my first one this summer and it has it's first bud. I can hardly wait!

Very good! I will be curious to know what color... I have talked to many whose blooms go from dark pink to white. Others say theirs is red but I have never seen a red one. In other years, it is a race waiting for blooms before the first freeze. Doesn't look like a problem this year.

I'm not worried about freeze till Jan or Feb.

Good ~ then you will get to enjoy your blooms... : )

I have the H. mutabilis which is the one that changes color. We are a bit warmer than you and mine is just now starting to set sone buds. I don't think the deep rosy pink (red) one is a true mutabilis (although others will disagree) but it is an almost identical bloom and it flowers all summer here.

This a a mutabilis flower from last year in it's white stage.

H. mutabalis is an old fashioned plant here, almost like everyone has a lilac up north, there is a Confederate Rose grown from cuttings of Grandmother's bush in nearly every yard. The hibiscus flowers are white to cream to pink blooming happily all at the same time on the same bush. They grow to be about the same size as the Althea hibiscus.

I do love them because of their heirloom heritage. The one I was given came from a 60+ YO ladys fathers homeplace.

Ardesia, your white bloom is lovely. How long does it stay open? Does it start a dark or light pink? I noticed one on the way to work that had about three different colors at one time.

Interesting ~ after I started this thread, I read that mutabilis means

there is also a rosa mutabalis which is a real rose (not hibiscus) that has many difference colors of flowers simultaneously.

Although I am not a rose person (thornaphobiac here) I'll bet that is pretty... 8 )

Rosa mutabilis is also a grest "southerner". It thrives here on little care and stays covered with many. many different colored blooms. It gets really big which is why I don't have one but one of these days I amd going to find the perfect spot.

I have been told the hibiscus that stays dark pink is a hybrid that had, as one of it's parents, the H. mutabilis.

I *think* mine opens white and turns pink but I truly can't remember. I'll let you know in a few weeks.

I have the Pink condederate Rose also! I gave away a lot of starter canes last year when I cut mine back! I have a about 15 of these "Shrubs" I am growing them into a Privacy fence ! I got mine from my Father several years ago! It is a wonderfully easy plant to grow and to start!

http://www.waysidegardens.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10151&catalogId=10151&SearchText=rosa%20mutabili%20chinensi&SearchUnion=N&mainPage=textsearchresults

This one (rosa mutabalis) from Wayside says it starts out orange.

Plant Files didn't have any photos. It asked if I meant 'rutabaga'.

This message was edited Oct 7, 2007 11:22 AM

Have seen some of those and they are lovely and HUGE! I will admire them from afar.

LOL ~ rutabaga... I get tickled sometimes when I try to do a PF search. One DGr said she searches for an item thru Google and will get to the DG plant files faster. I have tried it and it is far more efficient. Guess I am not plant literate enough to do the Plant files genus, species, cultivar ~ I can't hardly get past the common name. Google here I come....

Ardesia ~ you are probably correct

I would agree hybrids do not produce true from seed so perhaps the nurseryman that told me they were hybrids was all wet.

Just tried to find more info on this one and discovered there is a H. mutabilis var. Plenus or Roseo-Plenus. I thought it was interesting that with the following exception, all the info I came across was in a foreign language. The reference to Plenus is under the photograph of the pink flower in tiny lettering.

http://www.floridata.com/ref/H/hibis_mu.cfm

Edited to add the Plant Delights lists THREE H. mutabilis, including a single. They call the Plenus 'Flora Plenus'. This is getting curiouser and curiouser.

This message was edited Oct 7, 2007 12:59 PM

Oops, forgot to add the link to PD

http://www.plantdelights.com/cgi-bin/simplesearch.pl

Bad dog! NO! no! I am slapping my hands! Need to stay far, far away from PDN. I have huge eyes when it comes to their plants ~ lol.

Ardesia, the Plenus indicates a double or full flower (unless I am once more mistaken).

The third one on PDN could get me in trouble... http://www.plantdelights.com/Catalog/Current/Detail/04654.html Ain't it purdy...

This message was edited Oct 7, 2007 1:43 PM

Is the H. Mutabalis deer resistant? I rooted a cutting when I left FL and it's finally about 10"-12" tall and seems pretty strong and I'm also wondering if I should go ahead and plant it in the gorund this late in the season or keep it indoors till spring. Whatcha' think?

BDunn ~ I am the wrong person for that question. I have about an acre under fence patroled by attack cats and house dogs. Never had a deer that brave or hungry. I will try to do some research though.

i would keep it inside just to eliminate all risk. here i would put it out, but here they dont die back, but up there im not so sure. lets see a pic of it... then maybe i could give you a more accurate guess

In my zone 8a it is in ground and will die to the ground and come back bigger and better every year. In ground should not be a problem ~ seems like I read about deer somewhere and haven't found it yet...

I live right next to the Oconee National Forest here in Georgia, and we have Many Many deer! I have never had a problem with them eating or going near My Confederate Roses. I think because the Shrub has a very pungent fragrance when bent or cut!

Thanks all!

Eufaula, I just looked back at your pretty picture of one of yours.... gotta ask.....why is that fence behind it if the deer don't bother it?? LOL!! Just kidding!

This message was edited Oct 9, 2007 12:29 PM

This message was edited Oct 9, 2007 12:30 PM

Thats an ugly old fence that separates my property from the neighbors! It mainly keeps their Dogs HOME! Lol!!!

first bloom

a new one for tomorrow

the whole plant... i got it i august

argh i forgot the pic!

Very pretty! Yours opens white and darkens. Is is true white or a pale pink?

I did take a photo of am and pm and find my pink actually does darken somewhat.

Does anyone have blooms on these that last for more than one day?

mine is true white and then begins to blush

That is the one I thought I was getting when I got mine - the one that starts out white then goes pink and then a dark fuscia color. Mine starts out pink and just gets darker.

Same here. There is also supposed to be a red but haven't seen one. Would love someone to post a photo of red.

I received a 10" stick of this plant last fall. Here is yesterday morning's picture of how that 10" stick grew in one year.

Here's a picture of the same Confederate Rose tree this morning. I wish I had a red one too.

I wish I had stuck that stick in the ground a little straighter.

I went out for a drive around town yesterday. The Confederate roses are blooming like crazy. Some are all pink. Some white and pink. And some are in a white only phase. So wonderful to see something alive and healthy after the cooking weather we've had all summer. Those Confederate roses didn't mind a bit.

I hope some one offers up some sticks to start some cuttings this Fall.
It really is a marvelous shrub.

Hi Gloria! I offered Canes last year and am willing to do the same this year for postage only! D-mail me , any one interested ! I will cut the canes back after the first killing frost!

Eufaula, I can send some too to folks but I'm not sure how to go about it. Do I just cut the stems off at the trunk after a killing frost?

Deborah