Melinda Myers

Rose of Sharon

Botanical Name

Hibiscus syriacus

Min Zone

5

Max Zone

8

Height

8 to 12 feet

Width

6 to 10 feet

Flowers

Summer to fall: blue, lavender, pink, white; single and double forms

Light

Full sun to part shade

Soil

Moist, well-drained, organically rich

Planting & Care

• Plant balled and burlapped shrubs as soon as possible after purchasing
• Plant container grown plants in spring or early summer to allow them to establish before winter
• Prune yearly to remove dead wood and increase flower size
• Prune the main branches and shorten side shoots to 2 to 3 buds for an impressive flower display
• Can be severely damaged or killed in extremely cold winters
• Provide winter protection in the first couple of years, wrap with burlap or hardware cloth filled with evergreen boughs

Problems

Leaf spot, blights, canker, rust, aphids, Japanese beetles, scale, nematodes, whitefly

Varieties

• Blue Bird - 3 inch, light blue flowers with red throats
• Minerva - 4 to 5 inch lavender flowers tinged in pink
• Helene - white flowers with reddish-purple throat