Rose of Sharon

An erect, deciduous shrub with colorful, cup-shaped flowers in summer and fall. Also called shrub althea, Chinese hibiscus.

About This Plant

Flowers late summer to fall when few shrubs bloom. Colors: blue, pink, red, lavender, purple, white. Most 8–12 feet tall, 6–10 feet wide. Good pollution tolerance—suitable for urban gardens.

Special Features

• Easy care / low maintenance

Site Selection

Full sun to light shade, moist, well-drained soil.

Planting Instructions

Spring or fall. Space 6–10 feet per mature size. Hole as deep as rootball, 2–3x wide. Poor soil: amend removed soil with little compost; else don't amend. Set plant, backfill halfway, water, drain, finish backfill, water.

Care

Spring: compost to dripline + 2-inch mulch. Water if rainfall <1 inch/week. Flowers on new wood—prune early spring to shape/reduce size. Prune to 2–3 buds per branch for larger flowers. Remove dead/diseased/injured branches anytime.