Hibiscus syriacus

Botanical Name: Hibiscus syriacus
Common Name: Rose-of-Sharon, Shrub Althea
Plant Type: Shrub or Tree
Light Requirements: Full Sun, Part Shade
Special Attributes: Deciduous
Zone: 5-9
Growth Rate: Slow to Moderate
Height X Spread: 8-12’ H x 4-10’ W
Bloom Time: June - September
Bloom Description: Red, Pink, White or Purple Flowers
Foliage Description: Dark green ovate leaves, 2-4 inches in length
Soil: Average, Acid, Well Drained
Water: Regular (moderately drought tolerant)
Tidy: Pick off leaves that show signs of leaf spot
Fertilizer: Acid
Fertilizing cycle: Spring
Propagation: Cuttings
Pests & Diseases: Leaf spot, cankers, rust, aphids, spider mites

Notes: Rose-of-Sharon is an easy to grow upright flowering shrub in the Malvaceae family. It’s a slow grower that can reach up to 12 feet in height. There are approximately 220 cultivars that bloom in many colors, but the ones most commonly seen at your local nursery have a flower color that is red, pink, white or purple. Flowers stay open for one day and then close at night. Blooms form on new growth so pruning and shaping can be done at any time, however the best time to prune is in late winter or early spring. Rose-of-Sharon can tolerate a hard pruning. Frequent hard pruning results in fewer, but larger, blooms. Infrequent pruning results in many smaller blooms. Rose-of-Sharon can also be shaped into a small specimen tree.