Rose of Sharon is a shrub or modest tree that blooms with abandon from midsummer until frost .
Rose of Sharon(Hibiscus syriacus)is a woody , deciduous bush that goes the extra mil when it get along to flowering . This easy - to - grow shrub or small tree begin unfurl its showy white , pink , or purple bloom in midsummer and continues producing new flower budsuntil the first hoarfrost . Rose of Sharon then flower abundantly for eight weeks or more of color , taking up the flower show when many other shrubs are finished blooming for the season .
With its shiny , lightly perfume flowers , uprise of Sharon is a favoritefood reservoir for hummingbirds , butterflies , and other pollinators . set it where you could enjoy the wing visitors but keep in psyche that surface of Sharon is a fast - growing plant that tends to farm 1 to 2 feet per year . Situate the orotund , upright bush where it has distance to dilate to approximately 8 to 12 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet all-encompassing .
Credit: Helen Norman
Where to Plant Rose of Sharon
Rose of Sharon is an easy - care plant that contribute color to assorted bush borders or foundation planting . uncommitted as a orotund shrub or small tree , a single plant can serve as a specimen at the end of a long vista . Or , a pigeonholing of rose of Sharon shrubs can create a coloured bread and butter blind during the spring up season . ( mark : As it is deciduous , the cover effect is lost in winter . ) Rose of Sharon shrub can be planted and sheared as a schematic hedge , but many nurseryman prefer to jump the shearing and let them shape the background for apollinator garden . Or , for those with special space , dwarf varieties of rose wine of Sharon grow well in large containers .
Plant rose of Sharon in moist , well - drained soil andfull sun or part ghost . It blossom best when plant in a location that encounter at least 8 hours of bright sunlight daily . When develop in partial shade , uprise of Sharon flowers less profusely and break a reasonably gangly habit , as opposed to a more upright anatomical structure when planted in full Sunday .
Rose of Sharon ( Hibiscus syriacus ) reproduces via seeds and can spread aggressively , push out native plants in some sphere . It is considered incursive in Kentucky , Pennsylvania , Virginia , and Tennessee . In like climates , regard a sterile or native option . To control banquet , dig out volunteer seedlings and deadhead flowers before they go to come .
Credit: Justin Hancock
How and When to Plant Rose of Sharon
Spring orearly fallis the best clip to plant rose of Sharon .
Space several shrub 6 to 10 feet apart . gnome kind can be planted 3 to 4 feet asunder .
Rose of Sharon Care Tips
Rose of Sharon is a low - upkeep works that can exist up to 20 to 30 days .
Light
plant life rose of Sharon infull sunor part shade . It flowers best when planted in a emplacement that invite at least 8 hours of bright sunlight a day .
Soil and Water
Rose of Sharon tolerates a variety of grunge but grow best in moist , well - drained territory . It dependably bear poor , sterile soil , sandy dirt , orsticky clayas long as it drain well . obviate planting it in boggy filth and areas with bear piddle .
Water rose of Sharon weekly during the first growing season after planting . Aim to provide at least 1 inch of body of water per calendar week to found a rich root system . Once found , rose of Sharon is relatively drought and heat - tolerant and requires minuscule maintenance .
Temperature and Humidity
Rose of Sharon thrives in heat ( 60˚ to 95˚ Fahrenheit ) and tolerates humidness with simpleness . Though a prolific flub , this midsummer - blossom bush may seem ho-hum to emerge from dormancy and set out its spring growing cycle per second . It is easy to err the shrub for a numb bulk of branch when all the nearby shrubs and perennial are light-green and leafy , but give your pink wine of Sharon extra metre . It is not uncommon for rosiness of Sharon to leaf out as late as mid - June . As the estrus increases and growth start , it will grow cursorily .
Fertilizer
Rose of Sharon does not postulate plant food . If your soil is lightweight , sandlike , and loosely lack nutrient , mix a 2 - in - thick layer of well - decompose compost in the root zona every leap . The compost will put up nutrients while enriching soil structure .
Pruning
Rose of Sharondoesn’t require pruningto grow and bloom well , butannual pruninghelps regulate the fast - growing big shrub or small tree . Regular pruning also promote the sizing of the shrub ’s flowers . A rose of Sharon shrub or tree pruned in late wintertime or early spring will have fewer peak than a plant that is not pruned , but the result flowers on the pruned bush will be larger .
Remove damaged , morbid , or dead wood in recent winter or former spring . Then , to maintain shape , quash overly retentive stems by one - third of their length and edit wayward or precipitously angled branches back to the primary stem turn or base of the plant life . Rose of Sharontolerates cut back well , and the plants can be maintained at 5 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide if needed . Rose of Sharon can also be sheared into a formal , uniform hedge .
Potting and Repotting Rose of Sharon
low variety of rose of Sharon can beplanted in containersand enjoyed indoors or outside , but the quickly maturate plant — even a gnome variety — soon outgrows a container . Start by plant the young shrub in a 12 - column inch mickle with excellent drainage and beneficial - quality potting soil . Position it in an area where it receives full sunshine . As it grows , move it to increasingly bombastic pots , fill with fresh potting mix , moving up one size each time . Eventually , you might call for to move it to an in - ground location .
Pests and Problems
Rose of Sharon does n’t usually have serious pest problems , but it can come down prey toaphidsand whiteflies , which can betreated with neem oil . The bush is also prostrate to yield with leaf bit , pestilence , blight , and rust — specially in surface area with unequal drainage .
Most notably , rose of Sharon can spread sharply by seed and escape finish if not properly superintend . A few varieties have been bred to be modest - seed or no - seed to combat this trouble . ‘ Sugar Tip ’ , ‘ Pollypetite ’ , ‘ Azurri Blue Satin ’ , and ‘ Purple Satin ’ are all depressed - source form . If you do n’t have a low-down - seed or unfertile variety , curtail undesirable growth by polish off the fade blooms before seminal fluid fuel pod develop .
How to Propagate Rose of Sharon
Rose of Sharon reseed prolifically , so you could wait for the seeds to bourgeon in leaping and transplant the seedling when they are robust . Or , if your rose of Sharon is a mixture that does n’t self - ejaculate , takestem cuttingsto create an exact duplicate of your plant .
It is easy to disperse ascend of Sharon with fore carving .
The roots should take about a month or two to develop , after which the plant can be transplanted into the garden .
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Types of Rose of Sharon
There are many cultivar of rose of Sharon in a stove of flower colors , some with single flowers and others sporting treble flower . You ’ll receive nanus types and orotund type too .
Blue Chiffon
Blue Chiffon turn out of Sharon ( Hibiscus syriacus‘Notwoodthree ’ ) and others in the Chiffon series of rose of Sharon cultivars have semi - three-fold peak on shrub with a elegant , rounded riding habit . In summation to the rare blue physical body , flowers in shades of pinkish , white , or purple are usable in this serial publication .
‘Helene’
Hibiscus syriacus‘Helene ’ offer a nonstop summertime show of ruffledwhite flowerswith a cerise - purple snapper . This large shrub maturate upright with multiple stems and reach 9 feet tall and 6 feet wide . It produces few or no source .
Lil’ Kim
Lil ’ Kim ( Hibiscus syriacus ‘ Antong Two’)is a dwarf rose of Sharon that grows only 3 to 5 feet magniloquent , about half the sizing of other varieties . get along summer , it bears an abundance of ruffled white-hot flowers with crimson throats . It is an excellent plant for small spaces or containers .
Sugar Tip
Sugar Tip ( Hibiscus syriacus ‘ America Irene Scott ’ ) has boldpink , double flowersfrom midsummer to fall and creamy white-hot with naughty - green brightly variegated foliage . It develop to 10 feet grandiloquent and does n’t create come .
Rose of Sharon Companion Plants
Pair rose of Sharon with other flowering shrubs for a nectar - rich garden that will draw pollinators .
Weigela
Weigelashrubs put on a show of red or pinkish blooms in spring and other summer and then fade into the background as the season commute . Weigela sizes range from 1 to 6 substructure magniloquent , look on the variety . Weigelafoliage colorsrange from unripened and gold to deep burgundy . Like rose of Sharon , these shrubs are middling tight - growing and can accomplish full size after just a few time of year in zones 4 - 9 .
Smoke Tree
Bob Stefko
Mary Jane tree(Cotinus coggygria ) adds colored leafage to the landscape from spring to fall and , like rosiness of Sharon , arise in less - than - idealistic soil . farm as a prominent shrub or small Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , the industrial plant has oval leaves in subtlety of rich purple , amber , or immature throughout the horticulture season . Then , as the weather cools in fall , they transmute into shades of yellow , orange , and red . Smoke tree is hardy in zone 5 - 8 , but since it is in the same menage aspoison ivy , its sap can be mildly toxic to man . Take additional precautions when handling smoke trees to avert skin aggravation .
Potentilla
Potentillahas crisp , corking leaf and charming flowers thatresemble anemones . This hardy shrub blooms in a broad range of colour from late spring to fall in geographical zone 2–7 and , like rosebush of Sharon , attracts rummy pollinator . Then , when genus Potentilla drops its parting in the fall , a ruddy peel off bark is give away .
Frequently Asked Questions
No . Rose of Sharon is in theHibiscusgenus but is a woody flora and a different mintage . Hibiscus is a tropic plantenjoyed in containers during the summer months or year - round in tropic region . To complicate things further , frigid - hardy perennial hibiscus grows in the landscape painting like blush wine of Sharon but has no woody stem , unlike rose of Sharon .
you could spring up dwarf rose of Sharon indoors , but it is a deciduous plant and will suffer its foliage in fall whether it is indoors or outdoors . It get and flowers better when grown alfresco in Zones 5–9 .
Plant scientists have theories but no actual conclusion . The bush might have over - get bloom buds and is sloughing off those it can not mature . An lengthened period of drouth or extremely wet conditions might cause the plant to send away bud .
Credit: Todd Dacquisto
Rose of Sharon , Hibiscus syriacus L. Weed of the Week . USDA Forest Service .
Cotinus coggygria . North Carolina State University Extension
Credit:Bob Stefko
Credit: Stephen Cridland
