How to Plant Rose of Sharon

The rose of Sharon plant (Hibiscus syriacus) grows up to 12 feet tall and half as wide when provided with a good growing site and basic care. The shrub produces flowers 3 inches in diameter in summer and fall. Most varieties have pale-pink flowers with red centers, but other colors are available. Rose of Sharon grows well in most areas, thriving especially well in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 8. The attractive blossoms attract bees and hummingbirds to the garden throughout the blooming season. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Work a 2-inch layer of peat moss or compost into a well-drained garden bed. Select a bed that receives full morning sun with light afternoon shade.

2

Measure the length of the root ball or nursery pot. Dig the planting hole to a depth equaling this measurement. Make the hole two to three times as wide as the root ball or pot.

3

Lift the rose of Sharon out of the nursery pot. Set it inside the planting hole so the top of the root ball sits in the soil at the same depth it was at in the nursery pot.

4

Refill the hole with soil until it's half-full. Water the soil in the hole to help settle it. Finish filling the hole and water a second time.

5

Cover the planting site with a 2-inch layer of bark or wood chip mulch. Water the newly planted rose of Sharon once weekly to provide about 1 inch of water a week.