Confedrate Rose

 

Confederate roses are a type of perennial hibiscus.They are seen everywhere in Alabama blooming this time of year. The flower is white when it first opens, gradually turning pink as it ages and on to a rich rose color before it falls, leaving behind a head of ripening seed. Seed germinate readily in a pot. If you don't have a Confederate rose, get a friend to cut you some stem pieces before frost and being careful to keep the end closest to the root down,stick it into a pot of soil and keep moist in a frost-free place. It will readily root, but just for safety sake stick down several pieces. I have been told that they will take root if you stick the stem cutting in the ground where you want it to grow. That never worked for me but maybe because I forgot to keep it watered. Watering is easier for me to keep up with when it is in a pot. These also root readily in water. The trouble comes when the cutting is set in soil. Most water rooted cuttings have the same trouble: they can't survive the move from water to soil. You can make it work by keeping the soil saturated for a week or so after transplanting till the cutting becomes acclimated to less water. Everything being equal except the amount of work, it is less trouble to start out in soil than to go through transplant trauma.