By Eddie Smith, MSU Extension Service
The cotton rose, also known as Confederate rose, is not a true rose; it belongs to the hibiscus family, which explains its large, showy flowers. (Photo by MSU Extension/Eddie Smith)
There is an old-fashioned flowering shrub that has been a treasured pass-along plant for generations, and its blooms are a common sight in the fall in the South.
Often called Confederate rose or cotton rose, it is known scientifically as Hibiscus mutabilis. Although a staple in the South, it is actually native to southern China and Taiwan.
This plant is easy to share by rooted cuttings and other propagation methods, so the plant that has a special place in someone’s landscape can easily have a place in the landscape of another gardener. I have been fortunate enough to receive a couple of these plants over the years.
With its beautiful fall blooms, cotton rose is a wonderful addition to gardens. Despite its name, it is not a true rose. Instead, it belongs to the hibiscus family, which makes sense when you consider its large, showy flowers.
One thing I love most about cotton rose is that it saves its spectacular floral display for fall when many other plants are beginning to wind down for the season. The blooms that bring fresh color to the landscape may be white or pink, and some plants produce flowers that change color as they age.
Depending on the variety, these flowers can be single, with a simple, open appearance, or double, with many layers of petals that give them a fuller, rose-like look.
Cotton rose has a spectacular floral display in the fall when many other plants wind down for the season. The flowers may be white or pink, and some change color as they age. (Photo by MSU Extension/Eddie Smith)
Cotton rose is a vigorous, deciduous shrub that can grow quite large in our Southern landscapes. In favorable conditions, it may reach 10 to 15 feet tall and sometimes larger. Because of its size, I recommend giving it plenty of room to spread and develop.
It works well as a specimen plant, along a property line or in the back of a mixed shrub border where its fall flowers can really stand out.
For the best growth and flowering, plant cotton rose in a location that receives full sun to partial shade. It generally flowers most heavily with plenty of sunlight. The soil should be fertile and well drained. Regular watering during extended dry periods will help keep the plant growing vigorously.
Once established, this shrub can be an easy-care addition to the landscape.
In Mississippi, cotton rose often dies back to the ground following a hard freeze. Don’t be too quick to assume the plant is gone. New growth typically emerges from the base when temperatures warm in spring.
In areas with mild winters, the shrub may retain its woody structure. Because it blooms on new growth, prune your cotton rose in late winter or early spring to manage its size and encourage fresh growth for the coming season.
The next time you see one of these large flowering shrubs covered in blooms in the fall, remember that gardening is more than having beautiful flowers. It is also about sharing plants, exchanging stories and keeping treasured plants in gardens for generations to come.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Eddie Smith is a gardening specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service and host of the Southern Gardening television program. Locate Southern Gardening products online at http://extension.msstate.edu/shows/southern-gardening.]