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I live in NJ and I have a Rose of Sharon tree/bush that, for the last 14 yrs has been blooming lavendar/purple, like clockwork. It's beginning to flower now and for some reason...it's now white. I haven't done anything to the soil, haven't changed anything at all.

Anyone have any idea why this might happen? And does it mean that it will be white blooms going forward?

Rohit Gupta
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Bill
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    Hi @Bill, welcome to the site. Are *all* of the blooms on the plant white now? Any chance this is a different Rose of Sharon that is growing up through your older one? – MackM Jul 17 '23 at 19:14
  • You slipped across into a different part of the multiverse. – Ecnerwal Jul 18 '23 at 20:27

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All hibiscus change colour to some degree. Some more than others. The temperature, sunlight and pH affect different varieties to different degrees. I have only seen color swings in two tone varieties.

According to this it happens to all hibiscus plants. The explanation is too long to paste here. article

As much as I dont like blaming climate change for things, higher temperatures could be responsible. Or the soil pH had changed over time. Check and adjust the pH towards acidic, that is lower it a little.

Rohit Gupta
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  • Rose of Sharon flower color is unaffected by pH. See here: https://ask2.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=725711 The linked article says that some anthocyanins are affected by pH; those particular anthocyanins are not in hibiscus flowers. – Jurp Jul 18 '23 at 02:18