Rose of Sharon is a common name that applies to several different species of flowering plants that are highly valued throughout the world. The name's colloquial application has been used as an example of the lack of precision of common names, which potentially causes confusion.[1] "Rose of Sharon" has also become a frequently used catch phrase in lyrics and verse.
Chavatzelet HaSharon (Hebrew חבצלת השרון) is an onion-like flower bulb. (Hebrew חבצלת ḥăḇaṣṣeleṯ) is a flower of uncertain identity translated as the rose of Sharon in English language translations of the Bible. Etymologists have inconclusively linked the biblical חבצלת to the words בצל beṣel, meaning 'bulb', and חמץ ḥāmaṣ, which is understood as meaning either 'pungent' or 'splendid' (The Analytical Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon). The name "rose of Sharon" first appears in English in 1611 in the King James Version of the Bible. According to an annotation of Song of Solomon 2:1 by the translation committee of the New Revised Standard Version, "Rose of Sharon" is a mistranslation of a more general Hebrew word for crocus.
The most accepted interpretation for the Biblical reference is Pancratium maritimum, which blooms in the late summer just above the high-tide mark. The Hebrew name for this flower is חבצלת or חבצלת החוף (coastal ḥăḇaṣṣeleṯ). It is commonly assumed by most people in Israel that, the Sharon Plain being on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, the Biblical passage refers to this flower.
Varying scholars have suggested that the biblical rose of Sharon may be one of the following plants:
Tulipa agenensis, the Sharon tulip, a species of tulip suggested by a few botanists
Lilium candidum, more commonly known as the Madonna lily, a species of lily suggested by some botanists, though likely in reference to the lilies of the valley mentioned in the second part of Song of Solomon 2.1.
Recently however, some scholars insist on translating ḥăḇaṣṣeleṯ into "a budding bulb" in consideration of the genealogical research of multilingual versions and lexicons.[2]
Rose of Sharon is the national flower of South Korea. The first record of the Rose of Sharon (mugunghwa: 무궁화) grown in Korea is mentioned in an article produced 1,400 years ago. A mythological fiction, Xuanzhongji (Hanja:玄中記), written in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (Hanja:東晉) of China mentions, "The Land of Wisemen is spread for 1,000 li where mugungwha flowers bloom plentifully."(君子之國,地方千里,多木槿之華) The name "mugungwha" was first used by the poet Lee Gyu-bo (이규보,1168 – 1241) of Goryeo Dynasty.
In Canada, Rose of Sharon is a charity that focuses on helping pregnant and parenting young women under the age of 25[3]
In The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, Rose of Sharon (often called "Rosasharn") is a major character, the eldest daughter of the Joad family and the sister of the protagonist Tom Joad. Throughout much of the novel, she is depicted as fragile because of her pregnancy.
Leonard Bernstein's Kaddish Symphony takes the form of a monologue by a narrator self-identified as Chavatzelet HaSharon, "the lily that man has picked and thrown away."
There is a song entitled "Rose of Sharon" on Xiu Xiu's 2005 album La Forêt. The lyrics seem to allude to both the Song of Solomon and to Steinbeck's novel.
The Ragnarok Online background music set includes a track called "Rose of Sharon".
The village of Rosharon, Texas is named after the "Rose Of Sharon" from the Cherokee Roses that grew nearby.
The Rose of Sharon is referenced in the Bob Dylan song "Caribbean Wind." The song appeared on the compilation album Biograph but was originally recorded during the sessions for Shot of Love.
Leonard Cohen in his original poem The Traitor (on which the song "The Traitor" is based) also refers to the Rose of Sharon.
Rose of Sharon is a homeless character in Sherman Alexie's short story What You Pawn I Will Redeem, published April 21, 2003 in The New Yorker.
In Brazil, Rosa de Saron (pt) (Portuguese for Rose of Sharon) is the name of a well-known white rock group, that has include recorded some songs in English.
Sephardic Hebrew poetry from the 10th-15th century demonstrates prolific use of the חבצלת (ḥăḇaṣṣeleṯ) translated into English consistently as "Rose of Sharon"; there are a few renderings as "lily" (see Gate 47 of the Tahkemoni) .[4] The term and trope are found throughout the Sefer Tahkemoni by Yehuda Alharizi (1165–1225) and much of the poetic corpus of the Golden Age of Iberian Jewish belles lettres, which includes the works of such poets as Shmu'el HaNagid (993-1056), Moses Ibn Ezra (c.1055-after 1138), Yehuda Halevi (c.1075-1141), and Abraham Ibn Ezra (c.1093-c.1167) among others.[5]
Crawford, P. L. (1985). "Rose". In Paul J. Achtemeier (gen. ed.). Harper's Bible Dictionary. San Francisco: Harper. p. 884.
Davidson, Benjamin (1970) [1848]. The Analytical Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon (1st softcover ed. ed.). Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan. p. 246. ISBN0-310-39891-6.
Lapp, N. L. (1985). "Sharon". In Paul J. Achtemeier (gen. ed.). Harper's Bible Dictionary. San Francisco: Harper. pp. 933–4.
Scott, R. B. Y. (1991). "Annotations to Song of Solomon". The New Oxford Annotated Bible. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 854 OT.
Jump up ^Satoshi Mizota. Origin of 'Rose of Sharon' : An Analysis of Various Translations Having a Bearing on The Authorized Version Text. Dissertation for MA: Aich University, 2008.[1]
The climate is most favorable for growing rose of sharon bushes in USDA plant hardiness zones 5-9.
Characteristics:
Generally speaking, rose of sharon bushes can get 8'-10' tall and have a spread of 4'-6'. However, some cultivars stay shorter (e.g., Hibiscus syriacus 'Minerva' reaches only 5'-8'). Blooms on rose of sharon can be white, red, lavender or light blue; some have double blooms. Most rose of sharon bushes bear small, deeply-lobed, light-green leaves (this trait may vary according to cultivar).
Pruning Rose of Sharon:
Although naturally a multi-stemmed shrub, this plant can be trained through pruning (in late winter) to have simply one main trunk; thus some people refer to it as rose of sharon "tree." It's easiest to give rose of sharon its desired shape by pruning it accordingly during its first two seasons. It can also be trained for espalier.
Sun and Soil Requirements for Rose of Sharon:
Rose of sharon prefers full sun and well-drained soil. Older bushes may fall prey to fungal damage if you are growing them in areas without full sun.
Uses for Rose of Sharon in Landscape Design:
Its attractive and plentiful blooms make this plant fully capable of holding its own as a specimen. One's ability to shape rose of sharon also makes the shrub a prime candidate for hedges. But since rose of sharon bush is deciduous, it makes an effective privacy hedge only in summer. It could be used to achieve privacy around swimming pools, for instance. However, be aware that its blooms could attract unwanted bees.
Outstanding Qualities, More Growing Tips:
Rose of sharon blooms profusely, and its attractive flowers are its main selling point. Like other types of hibiscus, its flowers bear a striking stamen. Another feature giving the shrub value is its relatively late period of blooming (in the Northeastern U.S., it blooms in August). Rose of sharon is thus able to offer color when many flowering shrubs have long since ceased blooming.
A heat-lover, this shrub is also prized by growers in the Southeastern U.S. who crave plants that can stand up to summer's heat. The plant is reasonably drought-tolerant. In fact, if your rose of sharon has yellow leaves, it could be due to over-watering.
Don't give up on rose of sharon, thinking it's dead just because it hasn't leafed out by early summer. This plant not only blooms late, but leafs out late, as well, so be patient. When an althea's flower buds are not opening, that's another matter.
Nor are those the only problems associated with growing Hibiscus syriacus. Its seed drops and sprouts where you don't want it to, and the consequent need to remove the young plants manually is hardly conducive to low-maintenance landscaping. For those seeking help in getting rid of althea seedlings, I do, however, offer an alternative to pulling up the seedlings.
Rose of sharon isn't the only type of Hibiscus that flourishes outside of tropical and sub-tropical regions, although when you hear that genus referred to you may very well think immediately of the tender types seen on display in greenhouses. Another hardy hibiscus is Hibiscus moscheutos, known for its giant-sized flowers.