Hibiscus syriacus
As the line from Shakespeare ’s “ Romeo and Juliet ” goes : “ What ’s in a name ? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweetened . ”Except when the “ rose ” in question is n’t even a rose , that is , and does n’t smack like much of anything … What rose of Sharon , Hibiscus syriacus , miss in aroma , it makes up for in absolute smasher , with a blazing display of single or double flush from midsummer to fall or first icing .
prime are purple , pink , blanched , red , fuchsia , or combination thereof , and are unremarkably between three to six inches in diameter , look on the cultivar and growing status .
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Hypericum calycinum
Although arise of Sharon maylooka fleck like a rose upon first coup d’oeil , with its prominent showy heyday , the average - sized bush is actually part of the Malvaceae or mallow category .
Other plant in this sept includehardy hibiscus ( H. moscheutoand other jump mallows)and the populartropical hibiscus ( H. rosa - sinensis).In this growing guide we ’ll research some tips to get your plant started , how to keep them intelligent , and how to maintain vivacious blooms .
Then we ’ll review a few top - pickax cultivars place in height from three to 16 foot , with a diverseness of heyday coloration uncommitted .
Here ’s what I ’ll cover :
What You’ll Learn
What Is Rose of Sharon?
Rose of Sharon , sometimes called shrub althea , heighten mallow , coarse hibiscus , or hardy hibiscus ( not to be confused with the aforementioned rose mallow that also go by this common name ) , is an essential improver to any garden .
Suitable for growers inUSDA Hardiness Zones5 to 9 , they may need to be protected for the first couple of winters in Zone 5 until they become established , and should be planted in a sheltered location in Zones 5 and 6 .
Uniquely attractive , these multi - cauline shrubs bloom late in the time of year from midsummer onward , after many other perennial have already polish off flowering . They provide crepuscule beauty as well as late time of year intellectual nourishment for pollinator such as bees , butterflies , and hummingbirds . It ’s a little - known fact that theyoung leave of the plant are edible , either crude or ready .
They lean to get tougher by the end of the summertime , but I find them quite mild in flavor , and acceptable as part of a salad originally in the season – an important selling breaker point for food gardener such as myself who wish to fill the garden with edibles rather than solely decorative plants .
Hypericum calycinum , also known as rose wine of Sharon or Aaron ’s whiskers , is a low - maturate chicken flowered shrub in the Hypericaceae kinfolk . Though this species may partake in the same usual name , it ’s hard to slip it forH. syriacusif you know what you ’re face for .
observe that the leaves ofH. calycinumarenotknown to be comestible . While many other character of flowering shrubs are still becoming establish , rose of Sharon matures with a flush of blooms at two years old , with flowers forge on new growth .
The shrub show quickly in warm climates , but can be a bit slower to get live on in Zones 5 and 6.Speaking of slow starts , the medium - unripened , three - lobed folio ofH. syriacusdon’t appear until later May or early June each year , so do n’t strike your plant is a goner found on its deficiency of early spring greenery .
Cultivation and History
Rose of Sharon is native to China and possibly other areas of East Asia as well . It is held in gamey regard as the national flower of South Korea .
Historically , it was used in China as both food and medicine . The prime are referred to asmu jin huain traditional Chinese medicinal drug , used most popularly as a length of service - promoting tea .
Other medicinal applications let in usage as a discourse for abdominal painful sensation , diarrhoea , and ringworm .
Rose of Sharon Propagation
H. syriacusis easy to disseminate from seed , or by transplanting seedlings from the nursery . you’re able to also start new plants by layering branches , or rooting stalk cutting .
By layer or taking cuttings , you ’ll get a dead ringer , or a plant that ’s identical to the parent plant . Hybrid cultivars may not acquire true to seed .
Transplanting
A good start point if you ’re looking to disperse plant is to look around and under be plants , if you have access to any , to see if any small seedlings are come up .
If you do find some small seedling and you want to transplant them into your own garden , simply dig them up , pot each one in a soilless medium in an eight to 12 - column inch ( two- to five - gallon ) pot , and care for them as described below until they ’re at least one to two infantry grandiloquent .
Plant them out in the early fall , or in former spring after all danger of frost has passed .
Keep take for situation formulation and planting detail .
From Cuttings
There are a few potential method of learn rise of Sharon cuttings . These include settle down hardwood cuttings , softwood cuttings , and semi - ripe stem press clipping .
cutting can be taken and placed instantly in nursery bed or in toilet . I’ll focal point on my pet method below : semi - mature shank cuttings root in a controlled environment such as a nursery or indoors .
Take cut in the summer , in July or August , before the new growth on the ends of limb becomes woody . ramification are ready to cut for semi - ripe propagation when they are still green at the tips , and just beginning to indurate . Select offset that are roughly the heaviness of a pencil , and take five- to six - inch cuttings at a 45 - academic degree angle right away below a bud .
absent all but the top two to three pairs of leaves . Not all cutting will take root , so take three times more cuttings than you want plant . Prepare four- to six - inch pots of moistened soilless potting mixture , and poke cakehole into the center of the intermixture , slightly wider than the cutting .
I recommend using semi - softwood rootle endocrine pulverization or gel containing at least 0.4 percent indole-3 - butyric back breaker ( IBA ) for rootingH. syriacuscuttings , such as Stim - Root No . 2 Rooting Hormone Powder .
Remove a small quantity from the container and place it in a little dish or theme cup to use for this horticulture project . You desire to avoid contaminating the whole container of rooting internal secretion with your cuttings .
dampen the bottom half of each cutting , and dip it in the rooting hormone . cautiously place the clipping into the holes in the medium in your prepared pots , to a depth of about three inches ( one-half of the stem length ) . Tamp down the grunge mix around the bow . handle the dope with clear bags or plantation owner humidity tops . Prop the bag up away from the cuttings , using three or four popsicle marijuana cigarette dumbfound into the grease .
Check regularly and make certain the potting medium stays moist , but not oversaturated . Water with three percent atomic number 1 peroxide for about a quarter of the waterings to keep the cutting from rot .
Keep them in a hopeful location with indirect Inner Light until roots come along through the bottom of the pots . Then move out the bags and transition them gradually to full sun .
Your cuttings can be kept outdoors or indoors , though their emergence will slow if temperature drop below 70 ° atomic number 9 . It ’s beneficial to keep them indoors or in a greenhouse for their first wintertime if growing in cooler area like Zone 5.When plants reach 12 inches tall , transplantation to eight to 10 - inch - wide pots . Continue to water regularly to keep up grease wet and fertilize once per month with a balanced Cartesian product for bloom plant .
If all goes well , the plants should grow to at least 16 to 24 inches through the wintertime and will be quick for planting in the leaping .
Layering
Layering is a method of rooting branch while they are still attach to the parent plant . This can be done in midsummer to other declination .
Simply bend healthy - face scummy branches down to the ground and dig them into the soil at least three inches deep . Cover at least six in of the distance of the offset , and leave at least five inches of the terminal sticking out of the grease . If needed , you could place a rock on top to keep the branch in position in the soil .
In former outpouring , you could softly dig away the grime . If theme have form that are at least three in long , cut the branch off from the parent plant just above where the roots have organize , and bump off the new plant for transplantation . If ascendent have n’t formed yet , bury the branch again and check once a month for the next couple of month until roots work . newfangled plants should ideally be graft only in the bound or declination .
Otherwise , you ’ll take to pot them up , fetch them indoors or into a glasshouse in full sunlight , and wait to transfer out to the garden until the following planting season .
From Seed
Since rose of Sharon does n’t grow lawful from seeded player – in other word , industrial plant may not be anything like their parent in terms of flower colour or size – growing them from source that you ’ve salve can be a good elbow room to get some variety .
I also find plants grown from seed are more vigorous , with healthier root systems . Seeds are n’t commonly available from industrial plant nurseries . And some cultivars do n’t bring forth seminal fluid at all .
To harvest your own cum from mature plant , waitress until the seed seedpod are brown and dry in the fall . Harvest the pods , off the seeds , and place them in a postcode - top sandwich or deep-freeze bag in the fridge with a art object of tissue to absorb excess moisture . This will keep them fresh . Two months before your expected last frost date , or one month before set out in rime - free area , bulge seminal fluid indoorsin four - inch pots fill up with moistened soilless pot or seed starting mix . Sow seeds a quarter to half an inch deep .
If you have enough seed , plant three per commode to comfortably insure that each produces a plant . You may localise the potsin a heated greenhouseor in moldable bag to increase humidness and heat retention , to supercharge sprouting rates and speed .
Keep grunge temperatures between 75 and 82 ° F , and germination should come about within two to four weeks . This can be done using a heat mat or by placing them in a gay window .
exert the wet of the acquire medium , but do not permit it to become waterlogged .
If the temperature belong above the recommend scope , move them away from the window and partially close up the shades or curtain . If you are rise in a greenhouse , make certain it is well ventilated , and habituate shade material as needed to keep temperatures in the correct range .
Once seeds germinate , remove the bags . When seedlings are one to two inches tall , thin out them out to keep only the unattackable seedling in each pot .
Fertilize them hebdomadally with a balanced plant food until the end of June in Zones 5 and 6 , and up to mid - July in warmer locations . If you wish , seedling can be season off and moved outdoors for the summer , or celebrate inside .
They should then either be implant out in the early twilight , or brought indoors or into a greenhouse before implant them out in early spring , after the last frost .
you may also plant them right out in their first spring when they are a few column inch tall if you diligently protect them from weeds and nurture them carefully .
If you pick out to do so , mulch well and indulge them by keeping the stain evenly moist . Using a small spiral or plastic tube tree guard to screen them from gnawer and deer is also a skillful idea . I corrupt larger ones and then cut them to size .
Tube Tree Guard
Give this one a try , available from Home Depot .
In Zone 5 , winter protection will increase their chances of natural selection , which can include either wrapping them in gunny or using plant shelter . get rid of burlap in early spring before they thumb out .
incur more tips on disperse hibiscus here .
How to Grow Rose of Sharon Flowers
Rose of Sharon requires full Lord’s Day and a sheltered positioning , specially in cold mood .
Ideally , dirt should be hummus - rich and fertile , butH. syriacuscan grow in flaxen or clay grime as well . Plants require secure drain and ca n’t tolerate wet feet .
They can , however , tolerate befoulment and salt , so they ’re everlasting for gardeners in urban or coastal country .
Apply four to six inches of chipped wood mulch or pine straw every spring to encompass their beginning at least out to the drip business – the outer margin beneath the canopy of the limb . This will help oneself to keep the plants cool and moist . void applying any rightfield up against the stem to invalidate rot . According to Professor Alex Niemiera of theSchool of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech , the flora prefer a filth pH layer between 3.7 and 7.3 .
The soil should also be kept evenly moist for best resultant . Sandy soil in particular should be repair with compost at least biannually to increase quantity of constitutional thing and aid water retention .
Unlike some florescence plants which bolt phosphorus , H. syriacushas moderate N ( N ) , low phosphorus ( P ) , and in high spirits atomic number 19 ( K ) needs when mature .
If your ground is lacking in overall birth rate , a slow - release fertilizer entail for use on trees or woody shrubs with these NPK levels should be apply in late winter or early springiness .
fecundate later in the season can stimulate plant life to put on newfangled growing that does n’t have sentence to indurate off before winter .
As with any plant , you should beaware of your soil ’s nutrient levelsbefore indiscriminately fecundate . This is peculiarly dead on target for blush wine of Sharon , which is susceptible to overfertilization .
Too much N may cause the industrial plant to endlessly put on fresh foliar growth without ever bloom .
You should always adapt your fertilizer ’s nutritive balance based onsoil test result . Ideally , soil fertility should be built before planting , though adjustments and additional amendments may be needed after future soil tests .
Soil tests can be done every three years , though this may not be needed for hobby nurseryman if no trouble are evident in your plants .
Growing Tips
Pruning and Maintenance
Pruning is not mandatory , unless you need to increase blossom size or train your bush to be a single - trunked tree diagram .
All pruning should be done in the wintertime or early outpouring when the plant is completely dormant to avoid stressing it .
In universal , very clean pruning make plants to bloom more profusely but with small flowers , whereas impenetrable pruning leads to large , less abundant flowers . Pruning may need to be done in the first winter if you desire to create a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree - comparable shape . If growth is minimal , you could wait until the 2nd twelvemonth .
If a tree - same habit is your goal , simply cut all but one stanch off right down to the solid ground , choosing a more fundamental leader stem with some side branch . Do this annually to maintain its chassis .
For tripping pruning , remove only stagnant or pathologic branches . For laboured pruning , dilute back one - third of the wood each year , focusing on fallible and elderly branches .
Never cut back more than one - third at a time or you risk harm the wellness of your plant .
Read ornamental bush in this guide .
Each branch can be cut back to give only three buds minimum , though more can be pass on intact if you prefer to tip the balance a bit more towards producing smaller , more legion flowers . Diseased or drained branch should be cut back to the ground or the bag of the root word .
As a side note , you may have to keep a snug eye on these plants , as some growers have trouble controlling their spread via seed in quick clime .
In Zone 5 , where I grow them , ascendancy of self - seeding has never been an issue . disregard seedlings do n’t seem to do well , and they need to be protected carefully from weeds , cold-blooded fart , and temperature extremes to survive .
Rose of Sharon Cultivars to Select
Rose of Sharon has been in cultivation for thousands of years , and there are a wide variety of cultivars to choose from , with different flower semblance , plant shapes , and sizes available .
Most cultivars tend to bloom from midsummer through to September or the first rime . Although wild rose of Sharon plant life tend to have individual flowers , some cultivars have been bred with double blooms .
The following are but a few excerption to attest the available multifariousness :
Ardens
‘ Ardens ’ has three - inch lavender two-fold blooms with a unique frilled appearance . leave are diamond shaped with a vivacious green color and serrated edges .
‘ Ardens ’
These arise to mature dimensions of eight to 12 feet tall , and six to eight invertebrate foot wide .
industrial plant areavailable at Nature Hills Nursery .
Lil’ Kim
Lil ’ Kim ® is a nanus cultivar that has showy five - petalled white-hot peak with wine - crimson throat that blossom for three days each , an telling effort equate to the day - farseeing blooms of most varieties .
Lil ’ Kim ®
These plants have dark green , spear - mold leaves and an erect emergence riding habit . They grow best in zone 5 to 9 , grow to just three to four feet in meridian and width . you’re able to ascertain plantsavailable at Nature Hills Nursery .
Magenta Chiffon
‘ Magenta Chiffon ’ has plentiful , bright Battle of Magenta double blooms and develop in a rounded form . It ’s eff for being less rigid than other varieties , with the ability to blow in the breeze .
‘ Magenta Chiffon ’
This cultivar strain a mature height of eight to 12 feet magniloquent and spreads six to 10 feet . plant areavailable at Nature Hills Nursery .
Minerva
‘ Minerva ’ has cornet - shape pink to lavender flowers with red throats and yellow stamens that bloom from mid - July until September , or later . It produces few , if any seeds .
‘ Minerva ’
plant have shiny green leaves and an vertical form reaching eight to 12 foot in height , and a gap of six to 10 feet wide at matureness .
you’re able to find plantsavailable at Nature Hills Nursery .
Sugar Tip
‘ Sugar Tip , ’ aka ‘ America Irene Scott , ’ has tripping pink twofold bloom with creamy - fringed bluish dark-green leave .
‘ Sugar Tip ’
It produces no seed and grows eight to 12 feet marvelous , with a spread of three to four foot at maturity . Plants areavailable at Nature Hills Nursery .
White Pillar
White Pillar ® is known for its upright , pillar - same growing habit , acquire to a mature height of up to 16 feet tall , with a spread only two to three pes wide .
White Pillar ®
Baron Snow of Leicester - ashen billowing tissue paper - newspaper publisher - like double prime adorn this variety , which has bass dark-green leaves and fly high in Zones 5 to 9.you’re able to find plantsavailable from Nature Hills Nursery .
Managing Pests and Disease
Rose of Sharon may now and again be bothered by a few pests , particularly if plants are stressed or lack idealistic get experimental condition . Here , I ’ll get over the top perpetrator .
Insects
My best-loved method acting of prevent pests from getting out of mitt is toencourage beneficial dirt ball populationsin my garden , while applying the principles and technique ofintegrated cuss direction .
If you do have a serious infestation that needs to be treated , the louse pests name below can unremarkably be controlled with a mixture of insecticidal soap and neem oil .
For one liter of spray , mix one teaspoon neem oil colour with one third of a teaspoon of insecticidal soap or biodegradable dish detergent , and one liter of lovesome body of water .
Always test your atomiser on a few leaves of your flora and wait 24 60 minutes to observe if there is any damage . This may appear as stain or “ burning ” of the foliage , wilt , or desiccation .
aphid are notoriously destructive sap fall guy that appear on base tips or leafage .
As they feed on the plant , they leave a spotty , pitiful mess in their viewing . They also leave behind a unenviable means call honeydew melon that ensnare fungal spore and can contribute to the spread of fungal disease .
Aphids are best controlled with weekly spraying of the intermixture described above .
See our guide tolearn more about how to control aphids in your garden .
Sprays may not be quite as effective for treating these pocket-size , metal green mallet with bronze or copper - chocolate-brown wings . The telltale signal of a Japanese beetle infestation is skeletonized leaves or flowers .
extra treatment options beyond spraying include manually cull the beetle off works and submerge them in soapy weewee , or netting plants during periods of bill mallet activity in July and August .
good nematodesmay be efficient , and milky spore , useable from Nature Hills Nursery , can also be used to kill the pests in theirgrub stagefrom October to March .
Milky Spore
you’re able to see Nipponese beetles in your garden in this guide .
whitefly are small white fly ball that , like the closely related aphid , are often regain on the underside of leaves , suck sap .
Affected leaves will be wan or yellow in color , and they may wilt . Remove and demolish moved leaves . plant with an infestation should be spray at least every week with the aforementioned assortment .
Disease
The most common diseases that may plague rose of Sharon are leaf spot , rusting , and antecedent rot . All are fungal infections that can be treated with fuzz - base fungicides .
Leaf maculation appears as orbitual yellow or browned lesions or spots on foliage , and a exasperate problem leads to the eventual loss of leafage . It ’s normally caused byCercosporaorPhyllostictaspecies of kingdom Fungi .
To cover , first remove and destroy all infected works material . Then , spray the fungicide over the entire plant and the surrounding soil out at least one foot beyond the dripline . check your plants have respectable air circulation by keeping them well - weeded , and consider pruning to thin out branch and allow for honorable air flow . water supply only at the base of the plant , and keep on top of pruning any dead or pathologic branches .
Root bunk is triggered by various character of fungi and is good forestall by making certain plants have passable soil drain .
Treatment choice are limited , though a suitable fungicide program program program may be effectual . To read more about preventing and treating it , stop out our in - profundity article on beginning rot here .
rusting , triggered by the fungusKuehneola malvicola , is a rough-cut trouble for members of the Malvaceae kinsperson and it take care like … well , rust .
Orange spots come along on the leaf , usually commence on the underside of the leaf . Although rarely deadly , rust can be unattractive and it slow down the growth of plants .
Treat in the same manner as leafage point , as described above .
Best Uses for Rose of Sharon Shrubs
H. syriacusare various plants that have a routine of America in the landscape , specially given the diversity of salmagundi available in numerous shapes and size .
with child varieties are responsive to pruning , so they can fit into any garden . minor varieties can be engraft in border , while larger type make effective privacy screens or hedges , and most dish up as fantabulous specimen plants .
They can be especially attractive double up on either side of an entrance to a garden or patio .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
A Rose of Sharon by Any Other Name…
Whether you prefer to call it unfearing hibiscus , shrub althea , or rose of Sharon , this adaptable and attractive plant life deserves a topographic point in your garden .
With many easy - to - originate varieties of different size , and bloom colours to check any garden , the elegance and charm of these copiously flower plant life should grace every landscape painting in Zones 5 to 9.With few pestis or disease issues , and footling crusade required to grow them , H. syriacusis an fantabulous choice for a late season , humble - maintenance flower shrub , with edible leave to kick !
And for more information abouthibiscus plants , check out these guides next :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more point . Originally published on August 2nd , 2021 . Last update March 22nd , 2023 . intersection photos via Home Depot and Nature Hills Nursery . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock . With additional written material and editing by Clare Groom and Allison Sidhu .
About
Trent Rhode
