Rose of Sharon

Year-round

Rose of Sharon is a tough, deciduous flowering shrub that adapts well to Tallahassee yards, though it is an introduced ornamental from Asia rather than a native plant here.

• Full sun to partial shade works well, and this shrub tolerates nearly any soil type except constantly soggy or bone dry ground
• Mature size runs about 8 to 12 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet wide, so give it room away from walkways, windows, and utility lines
• Water regularly through the first growing season while roots get established, then it needs only occasional deep watering during Tallahassee's hot, dry stretches
• This is an introduced ornamental shrub from eastern Asia, not native to Florida or anywhere in North America, even though it has been a common Southern landscape plant for generations
• ASPCA lists Rose of Sharon as non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses, though it is still good practice to keep pets from chewing on any ornamental plant

Fall

Blooming tapers off into fall as Tallahassee heads toward its first frost, and this is a good time to clean up spent seed pods before pruning season arrives in winter.

• Flowering slows as Tallahassee approaches its average first frost, typically in mid to late November
• Seed pods that follow the fading flowers can self-seed readily in mild Southeast climates
• Hold off on pruning now, since cuts made in fall do not have time to harden off before winter

Raking up dropped seed pods and fallen leaves keeps the bed looking tended as the shrub goes dormant for the season.

Winter

Rose of Sharon drops its leaves and goes fully dormant for winter, which is normal here, and Tallahassee's mild winters need no special protection for this shrub.

• The shrub is bare from late fall until spring, which is normal since Rose of Sharon is deciduous
• This dormant, leafless period is the clearest window to do any hard pruning or shaping, since the full branch structure is visible
• The species is winter hardy well into colder zones than Tallahassee ever sees, so no winter protection is needed here

A bare, well-shaped structure through winter reads as tended rather than overgrown when viewed from the street.

Spring

Spring is pruning season for Rose of Sharon in Tallahassee, since flowers form on new growth and pruning before leaf out shapes the plant and boosts bloom size.

• Prune in late winter through early spring before new leaves open, cutting back last year's growth to shape the plant and push out bigger flowers
• New leaves emerge as nights warm up, generally after Tallahassee's average last frost in March
• Check new shoot tips for aphid clusters and rinse them off with a strong spray of water if leaves start to curl

A late-winter to early-spring trim keeps the shrub's shape tidy and full before it leafs out, which matters for a planting near the street or front walk.

Summer

Summer is peak bloom season for Rose of Sharon, with flowers opening continuously through Tallahassee's heat and humidity and established plants needing little extra care.

• Flowers open continuously from early summer into fall, with each bloom lasting a single day before the next one opens
• Once established, the shrub tolerates Tallahassee's heat and humidity well, needing supplemental water only during multi-week dry spells
• This shrub produces seed capsules that can self-seed readily, a trait that has led to it naturalizing in some states in the eastern US

Deadheading spent blooms before they form seed pods keeps them from scattering into nearby beds or turf, which helps the planting look kept up.