‘White Chiffon’ hibiscus (scene in a shopping mall)

‘Sugar Tip’ hibiscus

Rose of Sharon, aka shrub althea, (Hibiscus syriacus) is a woody hibiscus shrub that is hardy in temperate northern areas of the U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). This summer flowering shrub is exceptionally easy to grow. At one time,  it was a great pass-along shrub that fell out of favor. However, old fashioned varieties frequently reseeded around the garden. New cultivars strut variegated foliage, double flowers, and infertile (sterile) blooms that produce little or no seed.

Rose of Sharons are available in a wide range of flower colors including pink, purple, blue, white, and almost red. Blooms may be single, semi-double, and double and range in size from 2-5 inches across. They grow in average to good garden soils with moderate drainage. For maximum flowering, site plants where they receive 6 or more hours of direct sun and feed annually with a slow-release fertilizer such as Osmocote™ or Nutricote™. Blooms attract numerous bees and butterflies. Japanese beetles may mar the flowers for a few weeks in early summer, but shrubs generally rapidly recover.

After their first year, Rose of Sharons are highly drought tolerant. Shrubs respond well to annual pruning and to severe “rejuvenating” by pruning to a few inches above the ground. Some gardeners opt to grow them as perennials by cutting he plant back every year or two. In late spring the “shortened” plant(s) emerge and only grow a few feet tall with many stems and flowers.

‘Lavender Chiffon’

Top Picks Among Rose of Sharon Cultivars: 

Chiffon® series feature anemone-like double blooms for low seed set and long-blooming; color choices: Lavender (purple), Blue, and White; 8-12 feet x 6-10 feet wide.

Sugar Tip® – pure pink double blooms (no seed) and variegated creamy-white / bluish-green foliage; 8-12 feet x 6-8 feet.

Purple Pillar® – slender columnar growth habit (16 feet tall x 3 feet wide), ideal fit for small urban gardens; 4-inch vibrant purple single to semi-double flowers with red centers.

Utilize Rose of Sharon as a specimen shrub or small tree, as a shrub border, or set into a large container.