ROSE OF SHARON (McAllister, 1985) OGB Iridescent rose-violet standards. Dusty rose-violet falls, covered with a wash of color that starts with terracotta along the hafts and blends to almost blood-red near the black-purple beard. Martha Mia X Expert Advice. Good for a range of pinkish, pinkish-violet, and smoky tones as well as more flamboyant colors. A fully fertile ½-bred I recommend highly for beginners. While searching for a Biblical name for one of Gene Hunt's seedlings, I ran across "Rose of Sharon". I decided it would be the perfect name for one of my own introductions and, somewhat suprised that it hadn't already been used, put it on my list. The next day, I matched it with a previously selected seedling that had enough rose in it to justify the name.