![]() Shrub forms of hibiscus are bushy, woody plants that are cold hardy in zones 5-9. Shrub Hibiscus, commonly known as Rose of Sharon New growth will emerge from below ground, not on last year’s stems.Leave the woody stems standing until spring, then cut them down to 6” tall.Don’t fret! It will return reliably every year. This plant comes up later than most perennials.Apply an extended release fertilizer once in late spring when new growth emerges.Never let them dry out-consistent moisture is critical.Grow perennial hibiscus in full sun to light shade.If you have your heart set on a 4 to 5-foot hedge, I recommend that you remove these bushes and try another deciduous flowering shrub such as ‘Limelight’ hydrangea or ‘English Butterfly Purple Emperor’ butterfly bush.Tightly compact, near-black foliage dotted with bright pink blooms. Continue this pattern in subsequent years until the hedge reaches about 8 feet tall, which is a more natural height for the shrub and about as short as you should take it. Next winter, remove any new growth from the previous year and an additional third from the existing old growth. In addition to reducing the height, you can cut out dead or diseased wood and remove any out-of-control branches back to the base.īecause rose of Sharon blooms on the current season’s growth it should be pruned in late winter. Young plants can be cut back pretty hard to encourage branching, but when reshaping an overgrown plant such as yours I always recommend removing only about a third of the length of the branches. Rose of Sharon is an old fashioned favorite so it is common for gardeners to inherit one of these shrubs when they move into a new home and more often than not it will be overgrown. When planting a young shrub, site your rose of Sharon in an area that receives full sun and it will grow rapidly and produce an abundance of blooms with little care. Making sure the soil is well drained and adding a layer of mulch around the base of the shrub goes a long way in eliminating this problem. You will notice that the flower buds will drop before they open if the shrub experiences big swings between dry and excessively moist soil. ![]() Rose of Sharon will thrive in just about any soil type although it is sensitive to moisture levels. I am particularly fond of the variety ‘White Chiffon’ for its crisp white blooms, which look very refreshing during the heat of late summer. The papery, single petaled blooms are similar in appearance to a hibiscus and range in color from blue to magenta to white. Rose of Sharon is a large deciduous shrub or small tree that grows to about 8 to 10 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide. Let me share a little background about the plant. ![]() It is one of the few flowers in bloom during the lag time between midsummer and autumn. I have developed a deep appreciation for low maintenance shrubs such as rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), also known as althea. Specifically, could I prune the hedge down to say 4-5 feet or lower without damaging the plants? And when to do this – spring or fall? We moved into this home and inherited this hedge that has not been taken care of for many years. The hedge I have is over 20 feet tall with foliage and flowers only at the top of the plants. I need information on when to prune rose of Sharon hedge.
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