For the second year in a row, my rose of Sharon looks like crap. Not all of it, just the side closest to the patio. Which stinks because that’s the side most visible when we’re chilling. I gave it the benefit of the doubt and hoped that with just a little more time it might finally pop. Instead, she pooped. Threats didn’t work either, despite the fact that they seemed to with the wisteria. Don’t judge me.
My mom gave me this as a 6-inch cutting about eight years ago. I see it and think of her. So when it took a turn for the worse last year, then again this year, I started considering possible causes and who I should blame for its demise. Since the dieback has only occurred on one side, I think it could be caused by too much snow cover. We shovel and pile it up along the edges of the patio. Rose of Sharon is sensitive and prone to rot, especially when it’s buried under feet of snow every winter. Problem solved. I think.
I’d been doing scratch tests on the branches for several weeks. Scratching a live branch reveals a green underlayer (if it’s alive) and is a simple way to determine if a tree or shrub is viable. Everything was green until the end of June when I scratched and got beige. Dead. By this point, half of the tree had leafed out while the other half that receives less sun exposure was naked. I held off thinking it might just be dragging its feet due to lack of light compared to the rest of the shrub. Rose of Sharon can be slow to leaf out each spring. It’s one of those plants that tries your patience and just when you think she’s a goner, POOF. She’s covered in a riot of swelling buds.
That was wishful thinking on my part, so I grabbed the loppers and got to work. After wiping the blades with Clorox bleach wipes to disinfect them, I started hacking away. By the time I finished, the shrub had a peep hole of sorts through the center. Several young shoots were emerging from the base so I’m optimistic about its chances.
How To Grow Rose of Sharon
Hybiscus syriacus, also known as althea or rose of Sharon, is a piece of cake to grow. Whether used as a specimen plant or in a mixed border, it adds tropical flare. When the rest of the garden is beginning to wane, rose of Sharon is just getting started and continues to bloom through late summer. Flowers can be either single or double depending on the variety and come in variations of pink, white, red and even blue. It thrives in USDA plant hardiness zones 5-9.
Full sun and well drained soil are all this deciduous shrub needs. Too much moisture or shade and it’ll let you know. At approximately 8-10 feet tall and 4-6 feet wide, it needs space. Because it blooms on new growth, pruning should happen in early spring so you don’t risk removing new buds.
It’s easy to shape and my only complaint is it’s ability to drop little rose of Sharon seeds everywhere. From what I’ve read, the only thing that seems to work is deadheading after the flower has shriveled. But this too is tedious, particularly when the bush has become quite large. I admit I have yet to do this and resort to hands and knees pulling and swearing under my breath as I yank these guys out every summer. The seed is comical looking. Sort of like a mohawk hairdo. 
The U.S. National Arboretum has introduced four varieties that are sterile. They are ‘Aphrodite’ (pink with red eye), ‘Helena’ (white with red eye), ‘Diana’ (white) and ‘Minerva’ (pale lavender). Proven Winners also came out with ‘Sugar Tip’, a pale pink variety with variegated leaves. It doesn’t produce seed. Because of its prolific sowing ability, rose of Sharon is on the invasive species list of several states and the U.S. Forestry Service lists it as a weed.
Rose of Sharon is a Japanese beetle magnet. Fortunately, they’re easy to spot and release willingly with a little nudge. I fill a small container with soapy water and encourage them to take a swim. They breathe through their body so a soapy coating suffocates them and takes care of the problem without chemicals. This used to be a job for my girls when they were small but they’ve outgrown the task. I guess their idea of fun has changed. Go figure.
A fresh layer of compost around the shrub is all I do every spring and this drought tolerant shrub has delivered. I don’t even water it. Aside from the seeding issue, rose of Sharon is a pretty low maintenance shrub that comes into its own just when the garden needs it most.
Do you grow rose of Sharon? Have you tried any of the sterile varieties?
Thank you for the wonderful article. I grew up in Ohio and this became my favorite plant! Moving to NC, I thought I would never have another one but I was wrong thank goodness!! We purchased one and moved it three times trying to improve its growth….we finally figured out that it needed maximum sun exposure to bloom and now it is thriving.
I have saved some seeds and would like to try and grow more. Do you have any tips to do this?
Hi Debbie! I’m glad you found the perfect spot for your Rose of Sharon. Funny how we dote on our plants isn’t it? Growing from seed can be a little difficult as they need stratification, or a period of cold temps, to ripen the seed. Your best bet would be to look for little seedlings that have sprouted, usually very close to the mother plant, and transplant those. However, there are a lot of sterile varieties available now and if you have one, it’s unlikely you’ll have seedlings to dig and move about. Do you remember the cultivar you planted?
My friends Rose of Sharon didn’t bloom this year can yu pls advise what we can do?
Rose of Sharon can be very sensitive to too much/too little water. It could also be a fertilizer issue. Evaluate the soil around the plant and determine if you’re loving it too much or not enough. Also, they like full sun so if light has changed and it’s become shadier, that could be the problem. I suggest watering it weekly when there’s no rain in the forecast. I also like to apply Espoma Rosetone fertilizer in the early spring to give it a boost.
I planted one a decade ago in honor of a friend who died of lymphoma, and this week a construction crew working on the sidewalk butchered the street-facing side (as well as chopping down my Japanese dogwood). I’m looking for tips to get it to fill back in, because right now, it’s just heartbreaking carnage.
I’m so sorry! That had to be painful to watch. You could rejuvenation prune it in late winter/early spring. It’s not hard but can be a little intimidating. Cut the entire shrub back to about 6-12 inches above ground. Or, reshape the shrub one branch at a time so that it’s as balanced as possible. Depending on the severity of what they did, I’d probably take it all the way down. Good luck and let me know what you choose and how it goes!
Hi Heather,
I really could use your advice !!! Any information would greatly be appreciated.
I have a Rose of Sharon that one third of it fell to the ground & I tried to prop up & rope up, but it is very heavy. It is still alive & attached at base. Can I detach that one third & plant that into the ground to grow or will it most likely die? Rose of Sharon is probably about 8 feet high. A neighbor of mine has a Rose of Sharon that is so gorgeous, question on that is, can i cut off say 8 or 10 inches of its stalk or branch & plant that, neighbor said I could take as much as I need but obviously I need your thoughts !!!
Thank you so much & I hope I made this understandable !!!
Dan
Hi Dan!
Sorry to hear about your Rose of Sharon. Mine did the same, flopping after a period of heavy rain. It was full of buds and just too heavy. It never corrected so I gave it a chop. You could try rooting it as it’s pretty easy to do. I wouldn’t use the entire branch but instead a 6″-12″ portion from the top of a branch. It can be too hard for the plant to support both the foliage on a large branch while at the same time trying to develop a root system. At this point you can do one of two things – plant directly in the ground or place the end of the cutting in water until it develops of roots. I have had great success with simply plopping them in soil and keeping it watered. If only everything rooted so easily!
Definitely take cuttings from your neighbor’s ROS too and use the same technique. Just be sure to use clean pruners and let me know how it goes. Good luck!
Hi Heather,
Thank you so much for your advice as it is greatly appreciated & yes, I will report my finding !
Thanks again,
Dan
Hello. My Grandmother has a rose of Sharon hedge all along her fence line on one side. This spring about 75 percent of them came on normally and 25 percent did not come on at all leaving dead looking bushes. But some of this 25 percent have a little growth at the top and some of them have no growth at all. But we have bent and scratched the branches and have confirmed they are in fact living. It is now late summer so we are just trying to figure out what to do for next season. We know it was not too much snow coverage or too much road salt as they are a safe distance from any of that. If it helps they are about 18 years old and they have been pruned in the late fall/early spring every year to a certain height. Should we start over and cut them out or is there some sort of pruning strategy you suggest?
Hi Scott. In my experience, ROS seems to lose stamina after about 10 years give or take. Since the branches are still alive, you might try rejuvenation pruning in early spring. It’s drastic but has worked for me. Cut them back to about 6″-12″ from the ground. Hopefully, that’s all they’ll need. Good luck and do let me know how it goes!
Heather…
I’ve enjoyed reading all your helpful advice. We have a Rose of Sharon that has done well, but as I was doing some cleaning of lower branches, where the leaves looked dead, I noticed that the bark on about 3 of the main trunks seemed compromised. The bark had opened up, like a wound and looked different from the other trunks but there is still green growth up top.
Wasn’t sure what to do??
Tia
Hi Tia! I’ve had that happen too. Over time, entire branches on ROS will die. I use a small hand saw for the really big branches, but a lopper will do the trick too. I usually wait until the plant leafs out in spring to decide what stays and what goes. If those branches show no signs of life in April, take them out.
Thanks for your prompt response. The compromised trunks have a lot of green leaves so seem viable. We’re in Central TX with triple digit summers and brief winters that can get below freezing. I can’t help but believe these extremes have contributed to the “ struggling bark”. Your thought?
I don’t think the bark issue is all that uncommon for rose of Sharon. But it’s hard to know the cause. There have been years when mine looks incredible, only to be followed by the loss of entire trunks the next.
Can grubs get into the ROS trunks? Half of my tree looks great and the other half is dying.
Sherry oldfield
Hi Sherry, I don’t think it’s grubs. ROS has a tendency to do this. One side looks great, the other not so much. I’ve experienced the same thing. I pruned out all the dead and shaped it as best I could. If it’s lopsided after the cut, you may have to reset it in the ground so that it appears upright and straight. Or, if you’re not too attached, buy a new one.
One of my ROS was in an area where we shovel snow and it accumulates, taking quite a while to melt so the area stays wet longer than others. I think this was the cause of the partial death of my plant. So if yours is in an area that stays wet, relocate it.
Hope that helps and thanks for reaching out!
Heather