Turners specialize in Confederate Rose

JOHNSONVILLE - After becoming fascinated with the “Confederate Rose,” that beautiful flower you see blooming now, Stacy and Ross Turner spent ten years researching the plant before deciding they would grow the plant for sale. Since then they have marketed them to nurseries in Florence and various other areas. The hobby grew into a business.
Stacy said, “One of the first things we learned was that it isn’t a rose at all, although the plant is called Confederate Rose or “Confederate Rose Mallow.” The binomial name is “Hibiscus Mutabilis”.
“We searched anything we could find and listened to anything anyone could tell us about this beautiful mysterious flower. After about ten years spent researching, we finally mastered the history of the so-called “Confederate Rose.” We then took the plant on as a hobby, planting and selling these lovely flowers that is also referred to sometimes as the “Cotton Rose”.
“The Confederate Rose is a unique Chinese shrub that is found throughout the Southeastern United States. The popular name for the plant is based on the fact that the general area where this beautiful shrub is grown roughly corresponds to the section of the United States that once seceded from the Union and was known as the “Confederate States of America,” Stacy said.
Another story is that a Florida nurseryman brought the plant from Brazil, and while it was a beautiful plant with a magnificent bloom, it wasn’t selling well for him. He changed the name to Confederate Rose and …Bang … his sales soared.
Stacy said Confederate Roses tend to be shrubby and it behaves like a perennial in the south. The flower can bloom double or single and they are 4 to 6 inches in diameter. They open as a beautiful white one-day. Later they begin to turn into a beautiful pink. On a succeeding day they are a deep red or scarlet color. Then the blooms drop off. It is amazing to see white and red blossoms on the bush at the same time.
The Confederate Rose does not put flowers on until the nights begin to get a little cooler, around 60 to 70 degrees.
The “Rubra” variety has red flowers. Single blooming flowers are generally cup shaped. The double flowers can be 8-inches across if watered well and the daytime temperature is not too hot. They tend to love damp weather.
“The Confederate Rose is easy to grow. All they need is for the soil to be rich in nutrients and minerals, water and lots of love. After the first frost comes and the leaves shed off the bushes, my husband and I cut the stalks down to about a foot above the ground. Then in November or early December, we fertilize them with some good manure (Black Cow is our choice) and bank them up with pine straw for the winter. We then wish them a good winter of sleep,” Stacy said.
Obtaining cuttings from the Confederate Rose is usually done in the early spring when conditions are favorable for the cuttings to root properly. The plant tends to grow best in sections of the landscape that receive direct sunlight or no more than partial shade. The soil should be rich in nutrients and minerals, as well as be well drained.
While it is permissible to prune the Confederate Rose many people choose to allow the plant to grow at will. The Confederate Rose can grow from 6 to 15 or even 16 feet tall. They will need plenty of room to spread out their lovely green branches.
Stacy is retired from Johnsonville State Bank (Citizens Bank) and Ross is retired from Wellman Industries. They are members of New Hope Baptist Church of Pentecostal Faith where he is a deacon and she serves as secretary/treasurer and church historian. Their hobby is playing in their garden, especially with their flowering plants.