Hibiscus syriacus
Hibiscus syriacus L. (S and E-Asia) – A frequently planted ornamental shrub in private and public gardens. In recent years (at least from 2004 onwards) increasingly self-sowing near parental plants. Usually found in urban areas (for instance Brussel, Ieper, Liège,…) in cracks in pavement or in neglected parks, sometimes in abundance. However, mortality seems to be high and Hibiscus syriacus is still an ephemeral alien in Belgium. Occasionally seen without parental plants in the vicinity, for instance along river Leie in Wielsbeke in 2008 (between basalt blocks; confirmed in 2012 and by now ca. 150 cm tall) (Verloove 2011) or on levelled soil by a clay pit in Marke in 2009.
Hibiscus syriacus certainly requires climatologically favourable conditions (see also Adolphi 1995). Analogous records are available for several other European cities (for instance from Stuttgart, Zürich,…; see Landolt 2001, Schmid 2005).
 |
 |
 |
 |
Selected literature:
Adolphi K. (1995) Neophytische Kultur- und Anbaupflanzen als Kulturflüchtlinge des Rheinlandes. Nardus 2: 272 p.
Landolt E. (2001) Flora der Stadt Zürich. Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel: 1421 p.
Schmid M. (2005) Untersuchung zur neophytischen Gehölzflora im Stuttgarter Stadtgebiet. Jh. Ges. Naturkde. Württemberg 161: 178-257.
Verloove F. (2011) Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Pterocarya fraxinifolia en andere opmerkelijke uitheemse rivierbegeleiders in België en NW-Frankrijk. Dumortiera (in press).