| DESCRIPTION: It is a deciduous shrub growing to 3 m in height and 2 m in width at a medium rate. Leaves are alternate, simple, coarsely serrated and often three-lobed, ovate or diamond shaped, and 5-8 cm long. Flowers are very showy, 5-petaled, ranging from white to reddish-purple depending on cultivar, 7-10 cm across. USE: Young leaves are edible raw or cooked. A tea is made from the leaves or the flowers. Flowers are eaten raw or cooked. Also the root it is edible but very fibrousy. Mucilaginous, without very much flavour. The leaves are diuretic, expectorant and stomachic. A decoction of the flowers is diuretic, ophthalmic and stomachic. It is also used in the treatment of itch and other skin diseases, dizziness and bloody stools accompanied by much gas. A decoction of the root bark is antiphlogistic, demulcent, emollient, febrifuge, haemostatic and vermifuge. It is used in the treatment of diarrhoea, dysentery, dysmenorrhoea and dermaphytosis. A low quality fibre is obtained from the stems. It is used for making cordage and paper. The seed contains about 25% oil. A hair shampoo is made from the leaves. A blue dye is obtained from the flowers. It is planted as hedge and commonly grown as an ornamental. GROWING PERIOD: Perennial. COMMON NAMES: Rose of Sharon. FURTHER INF: It can be found in East Asia from China to India. Naturalized in South Europe. Occurs natural on mountain slopes, though the original habitat is obscure. Often found in hedges, woodland, and along sunny edges. Plants grow best with their roots in cool moist soil and their tops in a hot sunny position |