“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.” That’s just a little Shakespeare to start your day, but it’s a good question. What’s in a name?

Take the Confederate Rose, for instance. For starters, it isn’t a rose at all, but a species of hibiscus. And, while it loves our climate here in the heart of Dixie, it isn’t Confederate, since its origins are from China, although it now grows on every continent except Antarctica.

The Confederate Rose is also sometimes called Cotton Rose, because the white blooms resemble cotton bolls, or Dixie Rose Mallow, which is fitting since both cotton and the Confederate Rose belong to the Mallow family.

Its name is steeped in legend. As the legend goes, a soldier during the Civil War was shot and laid dying on top of a white-flowering bush. He lost blood steadily over the next two days, which was soaked up by the blooms of the bush. When all the flowers had been soaked red, the soldier died.

This is the explanation for the blooms of the Confederate Rose’s progression of color from white to pink to red over the course of two days before falling from the tree. Fortunately, even though the blooms only last a few days, the boughs of the Confederate Rose are filled with buds waiting to replace the spent flowers. The 4- to 6-inch flowers appear on the tree in the varying shades together, making for an impressive display.

I am fortunate enough to have a mother-in-law who can grow anything and shares well with others. She has two towering Confederate Roses in her backyard, and from them, she rooted two cuttings for me. Her trees came from cuttings from a fellow master gardener, so being that they are so easy to propagate, they make a wonderful heirloom plant to pass along.

In our area, the Confederate Rose grows as a multi-trunk shrub that reaches a height of about 8 feet. Where my mother-in-law lives in L.A. (Lower Alabama), they can grow to a height of almost 30 feet but generally stay around 15 to 20 feet, which is mostly due to pruning.

Although they can be started from seed in spring, propagation is as easy as taking a small branch cutting and putting it into water, where it will sprout roots. When there is a good base of roots, it will then be ready for planting. Water-grown roots are delicate, so you may have to transfer it to a pot of moist soil until a sturdy root ball forms.

Confederate Roses are a full-sun shrub that appreciates some dappled shade during the hottest part of the day. When planting, dig the hole twice the width of the root ball and just as deep. Mix a little compost or other organic matter in the first few inches of soil before planting to provide a nutrient rich environment. Give it a good, generous watering.

When becoming established, the plant will need to be watered frequently for the first few months to ensure the soil stays consistently moist. After that, it should receive a fair amount of water every two weeks. It is somewhat drought-tolerant; however, the leaves will look wilted until they get the hydration they crave. Mulch the area under the shrub, leaving a 3- to 4-inch ring free of mulch around the trunk.

Compost can be spread around the base of the plant each spring to provide nutrients and can be fertilized three to four times during the growing season with a balanced fertilizer. Since the Confederate Rose blooms in late summer to early fall, spring is the time to plant or transplant.

Pruning is a matter of preference. However, since we experience freezing temperatures in the Tennessee Valley, Mother Nature will usually prune the shrub to the ground in winter.

If any stems remain, they can be cut back to 6 to 12 inches above the soil. The shrub will return in spring, so any hard pruning really isn’t an issue. In areas where the temperatures do not drop below freezing, the only pruning necessary is to maintain its shape or size.

They may not be “southern,” but the Confederate Rose is an interesting addition to the Dixie garden. Until next week, happy gardening.

— Irland, a member of the Limestone County Master Gardeners, can be reached at kippirland@hotmail.com. Visit https://mg.aces.edu/limestone for more information on the Limestone County Master Gardeners.