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Back in May, I trimmed some shoots off a bush in the front yard to get them away from the house. They were so healthy looking that I figured I'd just stick them in some water and see what happened.

While we were gone, my friend just kept the jar full of water. Today, this is what I have.

I couldn't believe it actually developed buds and bloomed. Every one of the sticks in the jar has roots, too.

Now the question is who am I going to give them to??? I rooted my bush from a cutting from Mama's house. This particular althea was Daddy's favorite of the three in their yard. Oh, the other two I had rooted and put out lasted for a few years and then died. One was lavendar and the other was a dusty rose.

Those are Rose of Sharon & the picture is of a double pink! I have them & no need to root as they seed like crazy if you don't cut off the seed pods. Hummers love mine...so many in my back hedge & constant late summer color I love. Mine came from my parent's yard too!

Muddy, I've never seen a seed on my bush (which is about 8 ft) or on any of the ones in Mama's yard. The only way I know of to propagate them is by cuttings. Has to be a different species.

Here's what the shrub looks like where I took the cuttings. Doesn't show the shape well. Should be vase shaped. This one has multiple trunks. Rather loose at the top, more than normal so the wind coming around the corner keeps it leaned a bit.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Florida Farm Girl,

I too have a double pale pink althea in a tree form, and it does self-seed prolifically. Once the flowers shrivel and fall off, if left to their own devices, many - if not most - go to seed and send up shoots. My shrub is in the middle of a lawn, so the shoots just get mowed off. If it were in a mulched bed, I think it might be tedious to be constantly uprooting all those shoots .

I don't know if it's a different species, but its flowers look exactly like the picture.

That's so strange, because I've seen these all my life down here and have never heard of the seeds, or the likelihood of shoots everywhere. Just does not happen, not here in my sand or up on the farm where there's real dirt.

I'm wondering if the climate makes the difference.

FFG,

Patience pays! Love those ruffly-pink flowers. Thanks for sharing a great idea for starting the cuttings too.

Pretty sure they are Rose of Sharon. My Mom used to mark the solid white ones in her garden so she could dig them out in the Fall for me. So when these open I always think of her! I have a white theme in my front yard.

This is an older pic of my double pink by the patio window. Can't locate a close up...toooo many pics to look thru!

Can you see the seed pods ? I have been cutting off millions of them so they don't seed in the lawn. Birdies love them so always leave some.

Those are beautiful Rose of Sharons........they reseed readily here too. FFG, must be the sandy soil. Never knew you could root them in water. How cool is that.


ve

Have any of you ever seen rose o' sharon with multiple colors on one bush? I was at a funeral about a year ago, and there was such a plant outside the church. Pink, magenta, lavender, purple, white... All on one plant!
How do they DO that??? Maybe different color stock is grafted together?
I would love to have one of them. Have to think of a good place to put it.

Wow, those things root as easily as Angel Trumpets. I had blooms on my first year cuttings too. Don't you just love plants like that?

I spend a lot of time pulling out seedlings also.
Every spring...wayyy too many Rose of Sharon. Good thing they have a simple single root that's fairly easy to pull up, like the ones I found among other plants yesterday. They were 8-12 inches tall, but came up easily.
Mine are too tall to clip off the seeds in fall, but sometimes I do try to get to what I can reach.
I've heard that the newest varieties are sterile...GOOD thing!

Also, I have them with different colors on the same bush, but it's probably just that the seeds fell from surrounding ones and grew up together and look like one. Mine are all multiple trunks from the base, so that's possible.
I have pink, purple and white. They came with the house, but none are as pretty as the double flower pictured.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: jvelo,

That is amazing! I never thot it could be that easy!

I've been slowly trying to enclose the backyard & just transplant the self seeded Rose of Sharon that are about a foot tall & in about two years they grow to about 3 or 4 feet if you put in rich soil & fertilize. I blocked out one of my neighbors completely doing that & they love them too! The seedling can be easily pulled out of the grass if you forget to clip the pods. Never a problem.

FFG~~ Found a pic of one of my double pinks!>

Muddy, that double pink you show is the same as one that died on me. I called it a dusty rose. Again, it was just rooted in water and then set out.

I guess it'll just be our mystery why I've never seen a seed pod on any of these altheas in this neck of the woods. Now, I'll probably go looking at every bush I see!!!

I have pruned down some of the seed pods already but once they turn brown in a month or so I can collect some that are left for you. I have mixed colors in the border so can't be sure which they will be. You can research on line as I think they need a chill period. I sent a whole bag of seeds to a lady on here from Michigan once & she had luck with them...sent me pictures of them several feet tall. I don't know how they would do down there for you? I would fertilize them in the Spring & right before they might bloom. The ones I have bloom around here about the middle of July & still have some blooms! They add color & interest to your garden. Give me your addy if you want some...Don't think I pruned every shrub. It does take awhile for the seeds to brown...sometimes I pick them off when the snow flies!

Had some at my other house. The reseeded readily.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Florida Farm Girl:
I couldn't believe it actually developed buds and bloomed. Every one of the sticks in the jar has roots, too.

Now the question is who am I going to give them to???
I will be happy to take a few, can you ship them to Michigan?

CynthiaJoy,send me a PM with your full name and address, please.

To the top for CynthiaJoy to see, hopefully. Cynthia, check your PM.