Rose of Sharon
Quick Facts
- What it is: Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) is a hardy garden shrub whose flowers and root bark have a folk-medicine history, mainly in East Asia.
- Main uses: Soothing itchy skin (traditional use), Fungal skin problems (traditional use), Diarrhoea (traditional use), Sore throat gargle (traditional use)
- Best for: People curious about a traditional plant who accept there is no trial evidence behind it
- Active ingredients: Anthocyanins, Quercetin and kaempferol flavonoids, Saponins, Mucilage, Syriacusins, Linoleic acid in the seed oil
- Forms: Dried flower tea, Root bark decoction (a strong boiled tea), Dried leaves, Tincture (alcohol extract), Capsules
- Time to effect: Unknown, because it has never been measured in people.
- Side effects: Mostly mild stomach upset, loose stools or skin rash; allergy is possible in mallow-family sensitive people.
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What is Rose of Sharon?
Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) is a hardy flowering shrub grown all over Europe and North America as a garden plant. Its flowers, leaves and root bark have a folk-medicine history, mostly in East Asia, for itchy skin and upset bowels. In Western and European herbalism it is mainly an ornamental with only a light medicinal record.
Here is the honest verdict up front. No human trials of Rose of Sharon have been published for any health condition. Almost everything known about it comes from laboratory dishes and animal studies of plant extracts.
One warning before you go further: "Rose of Sharon" is also a common name for Hypericum calycinum, a relative of St John's wort that has serious drug interactions. Always check the Latin name on the label. Traditional use tells you a plant was valued by people; it does not prove the plant works, and this page keeps those two things apart.
How does Rose of Sharon work?
Nobody has shown how Rose of Sharon works in people, because it has not been tested in people. What follows is laboratory theory, not proof.
Extracts of the flowers and root bark contain flavonoids and anthocyanins, plant pigments that mop up damaging molecules in a test tube. Lab work also reports some activity against fungi and bacteria on a culture plate. A dish on a bench is not a human body, and none of this has been shown to help a person.
The root bark also holds mucilage, a slippery gel-like fibre that coats surfaces it touches. That is the likely reason folk medicine reached for it in sore throats and irritated bowels. It remains an untested idea, not a mechanism anyone has confirmed.
What forms does Rose of Sharon come in?
Rose of Sharon is sold far more often as a garden shrub than as a remedy, so prepared products are uncommon. Where you do find it, the usual forms are dried flowers for tea, dried root bark for a simmered decoction (a strong boiled tea), and loose dried leaves.
Tinctures (alcohol extracts) and capsules of powdered flower turn up occasionally from small suppliers. Quality control is patchy and many products never state the Latin name. Look for Hibiscus syriacus printed on the label before you buy.
Where it comes from:
Rose of Sharon comes from East Asia, not the Middle East. The name syriacus reflects a 16th-century European mix-up about where the plant was collected.
European gardeners have grown it since the 1500s, mostly for its late-summer flowers. Western herbal books mention it only lightly, usually as a soothing plant for skin and bowels.
Its deeper medicinal record sits in Korea and China, where root bark has been used for centuries for itching, fungal skin problems and dysentery (severe bloody diarrhoea). It is also the national flower of Korea, known as Mugunghwa.
Who should avoid Rose of Sharon?
- Do not use if you are pregnant or trying to conceive, because there is no safety information for Rose of Sharon in pregnancy.
- Do not use if you are breastfeeding, because nothing is known about what passes into breast milk.
- Do not use if you are thinking of giving it to a child under 12, as no dose or safety data exists for children.
- Do not use if you are allergic to mallow-family plants such as hibiscus, okra or marshmallow.
- Do not use if you take warfarin (a blood thinner), ciclosporin (an anti-rejection medicine), HIV medicines, hormonal contraception or antidepressants and cannot confirm the product is Hibiscus syriacus rather than Hypericum calycinum, a St John's wort relative sold under the same common name.
- Do not use if you take medicine for high blood pressure (hypertension) or diabetes without checking with your doctor first, because effects on blood pressure and blood sugar have never been tested in people.
- Do not use if you have low blood pressure (hypotension) or surgery booked within the next two weeks.
- Do not use if you have liver or kidney disease, since no one has studied how the body clears this plant.
- Do not use if you have bloody diarrhoea, a high fever or a spreading skin infection; these need medical care, not an untested herb.
When should you see a doctor?
See a doctor if diarrhoea lasts more than two days, contains blood, or comes with a fever.
Get medical help the same day if a skin problem spreads, oozes pus, or the skin around it turns hot and red.
Call emergency services if you have swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, a widespread rash, or trouble breathing after taking it. Those are signs of a severe allergic reaction.
Also speak to your pharmacist or doctor before using it at all if you take any prescription medicine, so they can check the Latin name on your product.
Evidence grades and traditional-use labels are explained in our methodology. Nothing here is medical advice.
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