I’m looking for a Confederate Rose cutting! If you know of anyone in the area who may have a plant growing let me know. Why do I want this particular plant?
I find it magical the way the huge blossoms start white as snow in the morning and deepen to red as the day ends. This is the closest bloom to my all time favorite, the peony, that will grow in our climate.
Why does this happen? I’m not sure of the answer, but I do know the legend. In a nutshell the story goes like this: Once the Confederate Rose was pure white. During the Civil War, a soldier was fatally wounded in battle. He fell upon the rose as he lay dying. During the course of the two days he took to die, he bled more and more on the flower, till at last bloom was covered with his blood. When he died, the flower died with him. Thereafter, the Confederate Rose (or Cotton Rose), opens white, and over the course of the two days the bloom lasts, they turn gradually from white to pink to almost red, when the flower finally falls from the bush.
I love history and legend! I heard another version of the same story that had lovers meet on the front porch of their home. The husband terribly wounded in battle was able to get to his home where his beloved waited for him. She sat on the front steps, her white cotton dress billowing out around her as he lay with his head in her lap, dying. His blood turned the front of her dress the deep color of red that this pretty hibiscus flower turns at days end. I kind of like this version of the legend…..can’t help being a romantic!
This plant originated in China. Cuttings made their way into English gardens in the 1600’s. This became a popular plant in the Southern United States after the Civil War because it is hearty and weathers the summer heat quite nicely. The blossoms actually last for up to two days, providing a showy array of white, to pink, to deep red as blooms open and change.
So…..my search is on! I haven’t seen a Confederate Rose bush here on the island, but I’m looking…..clippers in hand!
One Response
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Marisa Franca @ Allourway Says:
So it’s actually a hibiscus?? I am also a romantic– you should see my bookshelves along with endless cookbooks. I hope you find it, if not perhaps you could find someone to “donate” a cutting to you perhaps from Savannah or Charleston– good excuse to visit those wonderful cities. Let us know how you quest goes.
