Introducing Althea Rose Sharon Bush!

  I get amused at the names given to plants.  If you will remember, I have touched on this subject several times before but today, I found another plant whose name tickled me.  Althea Bush!  Now, to me this sounds more like I have a fine lady visiting the gardens rather than me visiting a shrub in the garden.  The Althea Bush had a single bloom on it before the rains set in this morning.  That bloom has now been beaten to shreds by the torrential downpour but it was gorgeous before all of its trauma.  The bloom got me thinking about the name of the plant.  Althea Bush is a pretty name suitable for the finest of ladies.  As matter of fact, I know several ladies with the last name of Bush and they are all perfectly genteel, Southern belles.  This plant is no different. It is a true Southern Belle as well since it loves hot weather.  What struck me as being a bit humorous is the fact that not only can this be a quite respectful name for a human, the other name for the plant is just as proper.  Rose of Sharon.  Think about it. My shrub's full name can be Althea Rose Sharon Bush!  

  The Althea or Rose of Sharon belongs to the hibiscus family.  It, like all hibiscus plants, tends to love hot, humid weather which makes it perfect to grow here on the Bayou.  We have a never ending supply of that humidity!  It is also rather cold hardy as well.  Whereas the ice storms this past winter, wreaked havoc on most of my hibiscus bushes, the Althea Bush was not harmed.  This seems a tad strange since I had moved the hibiscus bushes into the shed and quite literally forgot about the poor Althea.  The hibiscus bushes froze...the Althea did not!  The shrub is easy to grow and to propagate by cuttings or seeds.  Notice that I feel it necessary to capitalize the name!  I am beginning to feel if my shrub has a true persona here! She (with the name of Althea Rose Sharon, the shrub is definitely a female) is fast becoming part of the family!  Once you name something there is no denying the kinship.  My next project is to propagate hundreds of Altheas and name them all!  I could start a trend here!