This plant is a slow grower but well worth the wait. Lovely shade of light blue. Flowers about 3 inches large cover this bush every spring. In my zone of 8b it does not have to be mulched in the wintertime.
This cultivar from a dutch nursery (M. Verweij & Zonen, Boskoop) was released in 1995. 'Marina' looks like 'Oiseau Bleu', but it is said to have a stronger growth.
I must acknowledge keithp2012 for sending me a plant of this beautiful double syriacus. I'd been hunting for it a couple of years to add to my collection of doubles. He rooted it last year (2017) for me and then sent a picture of its 1st flower to show it was healthy and well rooted before mailing to me. It has gone through a full deciduous cycle, grown a couple of inches, put on all new leaves and is developing a bud at this time, June 2018. I can hardly wait to see that multi-colored flower in person.
We have had this for many years. It is in tree form. It is in a very large pot so we keep it in our basement over the winter. It does extremely well. I have to cut it back every year. We also have several tropical hibiscuses, which of course are less hardy, so we have already taken them inside. Those stay in the heated part of the house, in a sunny window. We live in western Pennsylvania.
Plant is approximately 3 ft. high by 3 ft. wide in 14 years, It has a compact growth habit. Leaves are dark green.
Back in Feb. 2018 another Louisiana gardener sent me cuttings of this double purple beauty to root. I'm happy to say 3 of 4 rooted and are getting nice new growth now in mid June. They will slowly be moved into more sun, as they acclimate, from a filtered morning sun area, where they rooted on my porch. I'm thrilled to add them to my collection of double syriacus Roses of Sharon.
White with a red eye, triploid. Introduction by National Arboretum.
Flower is double, magenta with a rose/red eye, 3-4 inches in diameter. Proliferous double, diaphysis, well developed petaloids are longer than petals. Outer petals recurved.
Azurri Blue Satin® Hibiscus syriacus 'DVPazurri' USPP 20,563, Can 4,391
Rose Of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus 'Minerva') is a larval host plant for the Grey Hairstreak butterfly. A native to China and India, Rose of Sharon 'Minerva' produces lavender blossoms in mid to late summer. The blossoms are attractive to hummingbirds. 'Minerva' does well in average to moist soil in part sun. Be on the look-out for volunteers, as this pretty flowering tree self-seeds readily.
