Confederate Rose
Tree Stories: Confederate Rose easily-grown plant for Galveston Gardens by Margaret Canavan.
Traveling around the island recently, I came upon a beautiful small tree with a multitude of huge pink blossoms. Serious gardeners may know it as Hibiscus mutabilis, the Latin describing the “changeable” color of the tree’s blossoms during the day. More familiar names include Confederate rose, Dixie rosemallow or cotton rose.
This native to China is not actually a rose, but rather a hibiscus whose flowers appear similar to a large, delicate rose. Big tropical-looking leaves resemble cotton foliage and its round buds and seed pods look like cotton bolls. Cotton and Confederate rose are relatives in the mallow family.
The plant’s most striking characteristic is the multitude of gorgeous flowers appearing from summer through fall. Blooms are typically double and 4 to 6 inches in diameter. They open white or pink, often changing to deep red by evening, and sometimes with all colors on the plant at the same time. Legend claims the name comes from the color change to red, symbolizing the blood of fallen Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.
Confederate rose has a very fast growth rate and can reach 8 to 10 feet in one season. Galveston’s typically frost-free conditions can allow a possible height of 12 to 15 feet with a woody trunk. The tree that inspired this column is in the 1200 block of 37th Street. It is quite large and appears to have been unfazed by our January freeze.
More typical is a multitrunk bush 6 to 8 feet tall, which should provide more flowering. Rich, moist soil and full sun bring the most vigorous growth. However, mallows are forgiving and will tolerate light shade and less desirable soils and can be drought-tolerant in good soil. The tree drops its leaves in winter and can be cut back if preferred.
The relative scarcity of this once common plant is due to common insect issues. Pesky whitefly populations can be reduced by beneficial insects such as ladybugs, green lacewings and parasitic wasps. For those beneficials to flourish, it is necessary to avoid broad spectrum pesticides like Sevin or Malathion. Use a forceful spray from a water hose to scatter the insects and spray the underside of leaves with insecticidal soap. One source suggests using a vacuum to remove the pests and their eggs.
Confederate rose is a favorite “passalong” plant, since it’s so easy to pass along to friends. Cuttings root readily in water or damp soil. Collect cuttings about 12 inches long, remove most leaves, and place them in water in indirect sunlight. Stems should develop roots in a month or two and can be transplanted. Seeds are readily available online.
The lovely Confederate rose deserves more space in Galveston gardens with a bit of room. It is beautiful alone or as a small accent tree, used as a background for other summer flowering plants, or in a mixed shrub border. Just be sure to provide plenty of space for this large, showy and easily grown plant so its blooms can be appreciated.
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“Tree Stories” is an ongoing series of articles about island trees, tree care and tree issues. If you have or know of a special tree on Galveston Island that should be highlighted, email treesforgalveston@gmail.com. Margaret Canavan is a Galveston resident, a Galveston County Master Gardener, and a member of the Galveston Island Tree Conservancy Board.