There are Rose of Sharon trees outside the office window. Great big ones, like Janet had wanted when she lived there. She envisioned a hedge of tall trees filled with flowers and that's what is there now. Every morning it is filled with birds and squirrels. Yesterday, a Blue Jay few in and then out with something white in its mouth. One of the flowers.
All that expertise I have on edible flowers and I didn't realize that the Rose of Sharon is one. It is an Hibiscus. We drink Hibiscus tea. Here's what Miracle-Gro has to say:
"For edible flowers, consider Rose of Sharon. A long time garden favourite, Hibiscus syriacus is a medium to large-sized shrub or small tree that produces masses of single or double flowering blooms in a variety of colours; white, pink, red, purple, blue. Blossoms appear in late summer and have a nutty flavour to them. Pick flower buds in the morning and put them in the refrigerator. They'll open when you take them out later to use."
This article also says we can eat Roses. I can say that's a stretch. Only a few Rose varieties are edible in my experience. I've tried lots of them. They are ascorbic, bitter and have an overly chewy texture in which they never break down so you are stuck with a little "Rose wad" in your mouth. The Rugosa roses are edible. They are the perfume roses. Better to buy Rose water if you want some of that divine scent/flavour in a dish.
At this time of year, all kinds of birds like the Rose of Sharon. My guess is that they are also eating the bugs in the trees and that would likely be Japanese Beetles. There was a Cardinal on a branch next to the Blue Jay. They aren't friendly with each other, so Japanese Beetles are likely tasty treats.
With all those flower pictures I have, I can't remember taking pictures of Rose of Sharon. It is quite the weed in my garden, comes up everywhere. I consider Dandelions weeds and I have lots of pictures of them. But they are not as noxious as Rose of Sharon in the garden.
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