Plant Type

Shrub

 

Height Range

6-12', 12-25'

 

Flower Color

Blue, Lavender, Pink, Purple, White, Multi-Colored

 

Flower Season

Summer, Fall

 

Leaf Color

Green, Dark Green

 

Bark Color

Brown, Grey

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Full, Half

 

Water

Medium

 

Growth Rate

Moderate

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Loam, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Poor, Well-drained, Moist

 

Soil pH

Acid, Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

English Cottage, Formal, Mediterranean, Ranch, Seascape, Spanish

 

Accenting Features

Showy Flowers, Specimen

 

Seasonal Interest

Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Background, Entry, Perennial Border, Shrub Border, Foundation, Patio

 

Special Uses

Container, Hedge, Screen, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

n/a

Rose of Sharon is a deciduous shrub that grows 8 to 15 feet tall and 8 to 12 feet wide. Its leaves are lobed and coarsely toothed, and of a medium green. Flowers appear July through September, and may be simple, single petaled, or multi-petaled like a rose or camellia. Flower colors range through the pinks, mauves, reddish purples, and white. Some flowers have "eyes" making the flower appear bicolored.

Rose of Sharon prefers full sun but will grow and flower with half day sun. Requires well drained soil, and grows better in poorer soils than those that are very loamy. Is sometimes available as a standard, meaning that it has been pruned to be in tree form; will require pruning to maintain tree form. Otherwise, prune selectively to control size and form; see Guides.