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![]() The U.S. National Arboretum presents Hibiscus syriacus 'Diana', a rose-of-sharon introduction with a flower as lovely as the Greek goddess for which it is named. Lovely, large, pure-white flowers produce little or no seed. Thus, 'Diana' will bloom continuously from late June until frost. This amazing hybrid shrub has excellent, dark green, pollution-resistant foliage. It tolerates extreme heat, drought, and poor soils but will grow best in soils with moderate fertility and moisture.
Recognition: The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Gold Medal Plant Award, 1991.
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Botanical Name: | Hibiscus syriacus L. 'Diana' (NA 32225; PI 347257) |
Family: | Malvaceae |
Hardiness: | U.S.D.A. Zones 5 - 8 |
Development: | 'Diana' resulted from the cross of a tetraploid Hibiscus syriacus seedling with white petals and red eye with a heavily ruffled, diploid white seedling made by Dr. Donald Egolf at the U.S. National Arboretum in 1963. The cultivar first flowered in 1964 and was named and released in 1970. |
Significance: | 'Diana' is distinct because of its waxy, heavy-textured, wide-spreading, ruffled, pure white flowers that remain open for more than one day, heavy dark green leaves, dense branching, and compact, upright growth habit. In addition, since 'Diana' is a triploid, there is little or no seed production, thus enabling the plant to flower freely from late June until autumn, a time when few woody plants are in bloom. |
Description: |
Height and width: 8 feet tall and 7-8 feet wide. Habit: Deciduous, tall, upright shrub with dense branching to the base. Foliage: Leathery, semiglossy, dark green leaves more tolerant to ozone pollution and the first autumn frosts than other cultivars. Flowers: Waxy, heavy-textured, wide-spreading, ruffled, pure white flowers remain open for more than a day. Bloom begins in late June and continues in profusion until frost. Fruit: A capsule. 'Diana' is a triploid, with little to no seed production. |
Culture: | 'Diana' is readily cultivated under diverse climatic and soil conditions, but grows best in full sun to partial shade in a sandy loam with a pH of 5.5-7.0. It can endure extreme heat, drought, and poor soils. Flowering will be heavier and growth more compact if planted in full sun. |
Propagation: | Roots easily from semi-hardwood cuttings under mist, 2000-3000 ppm IBA, in 4-6 weeks. |
Landscape Use: | Specimen plant, small tree if trained to a single stem, pruned hedge, deciduous screen, background for perennial border, container plant. Adaptable for use in the home garden, parks, industrial complexes and malls. |
Availability: | Readily available from mail-order firms and retail and wholesale nurseries. |
U.S. National Arboretum Plant Introduction Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit U.S. National Arboretum, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 3501 New York Ave., N.E., Washington, DC 20002 |
Last Updated January 14, 2002
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