Thank you for the wonderful information 👩‍🌾

I LOVE Rose of Sharon. BUT this year I am still pulling offshoots where I DO NOT WANT THEM! What to do? Can I trim off flowers after blooming to prevent offshoots next spring? When to do this??
Thanks

Rose of Sharon can be wonderful but it's difficult to find a variety that doesn't throw around hundreds of seedlings. I finally cut down a white Rose of Sharon several years ago because I didn't want to spend months ripping out the little ROS "weeds" that sprung up everywhere. Some years ago, I had a double purple that did not seed out all over the garden but it died. So two years ago, I found a double red that hasn't seeded so far. So the "trick" might be in avoiding the singles for the doubles or triples. Otherwise, I wouldn't have this "pesty" bush/tree in my yard.

Oh, My GOODNESS!!!

Forgive me, but I just had to comment on your beautiful article on Rose of Sharon...because there are so very many who may not know an important fact that you've left out: "Once you plant Rose of Sharon" in your yard, it is going to run rampant!" Yes, it is covered- literally- with beautiful flowers ranging in size from 2-3 inches to almost as big as your face, depending on the variety. And they are lovely to behold.

However, each of those flowers, when it falls, leaves a pod. And in that pod is literally HUNDREDS of seeds for the Rose of Sharon shrub. The wind, birds, and insects carry those tiny, light seeds everywhere. And they are most prolific! I have had a terrible time getting those things out of a property that originally had only one bush, but because I wasn't there to keep it under control, it ran rampant. It must be dug out by the roots, like any other shrub that one wants to eradicate. I have also seen this happen far too many times to consider buying/planting this shrub ever again. It is as bad as forsythia and pampas grass for taking over an entire area. Even though forsythia spreads mainly by the branches rooting where they touch the ground, Rose of Sharon needs no such help. It only needs sun, water and wind...and you have an entire nursery of Rose of Sharon- whether you want it or not. And as for Pampas Grass? I have literally seen acres that it has claimed, not to mention that those cute little dried puffs they produce are a fire hazard, because the sun alone can ignite them. There are just some plants which have been taken from their original habitat which do not belong in "structured" gardens/landscaping. I honestly believe that a warning should be posted with each sale of these three plants: Rose of Sharon, Forsythia, and Pampas Grass. They are a gardener's foe in disguise.

So please, be aware, if you do love this beautiful shrub, it is like having rabbits: except that with this- you only need one. I honestly feel that this, and forsythia, should be put on the "not allowed" plant list, because people simply do not realize what is going to happen in a very short period of time. And the work and time it requires to get rid of them once they are established is unbelievable.

In no way have I meant to insult or offend you. Your post is beautiful. I just couldn't help warning those who may not know what they are in for if they choose to buy/plant Rose of Sharon, Forsythia or Pampas Grass.

Blessings;

Queen Dreama

The poor Rose of Sharon gets such a bad rap for self-seeding. I would like to set the record straight. Single flower bushes do reseed. There are at least six single flowered varieties that are sterile. Most semi-double flowers such as the line of Chiffons are sterile. And the totally full ones are sterile...never experienced a baby in 35 years. Double Rose of Sharon is usually grafted. My description of them is a beautiful..."carnation" tree! Great background for a flower garden.

These are all STERILE.....



May your garden be full of love!

Sharon, do the sterile doubles also provide food for nector & pollen feeders?

Zoe...In my garden the #1 attractor is salvia, of which I have about 50 plants. I also have tropical milkweed, larkspur, standing cypress, tall snapdragons and daylilies which are pretty popular. My garden usually has many plants blooming at the same time. I have seen bees and such on the Rose of Sharon...but not like they are on the salvias. Not sure as to what or how much nutritional value Rose of Sharon have.

May peace and joy be found in your garden!

I just found this article: https://www.thespruce.com/get-...

I'm going to try this in the fall: "When the flowers of your shrub are done blooming, simply deadhead them. This will nip seed production in the bud and eliminate all those annoying seedlings. Make sure you remove not just the flower, but also the developing seed pod at its base. With rose of Sharon, the seed pods develop in October and take 6 to 14 weeks to mature, so you have a little time once the blooms have withered. But if you do this carefully, you will be rewarded next spring with a garden free of unwanted seedlings."

Thank you, Sharon. I, too, grow many pollinator plants. I asked because I am cursed with a Lady Banks rose which I think is sterile. It is officially in my neighbor's yard on the other side of the fence and grows mostly on my side. Every April it puts on a dramatic show but it doesn't appear to produce pollen or draw bees when my massive Arp rosemary right next to it is swarming with them. So for two weeks of beauty, it basically just takes up space and nutrients, blocks the sun and sits there. With a few exceptions, these days I tend to steer clear of purely ornamental flowering plants that don't serve a secondary purpose, e.g. edible, pollen/nectar producer, medicinal, nitrogen-fixer, etc (this is less about virtue than lack of space ).

I first met an althea in 1978 when I worked on a grounds crew of a 14-acre estate and I fell in love with it. A fully mature 8-foot althea in full bloom was slated for destruction due to construction, so my co-workers and I dug it up with a massive root ball and successfully moved it elsewhere. Would NEVER try that now . I haven't had one for many years, but I always admire them.

@KyWoods that is an interesting thought...let me know how that works. The Rose of Sharon aka Althea drops all its flowers daily. They are pretty self-cleaning. Some people consider them messy because they drop their blooms continually. I look at it as a good bang for my buck. Think of how many blooms it produces and they fell off themselves. Special note the double altheas can take two days to drop its bloom. Very interesting colorful look on the Arden Althea. Pink, blue and lavender blooms due to the age of the bloom.

I would have to wonder as to the October seed timing. Here they can bloom for almost 4 months...I think it would not make sense that the seeds ripen all at once. I would think they are developing seed pods continually. But mine are sterile so I could be wrong.

@nmoasis I know hummingbirds and honey bees prefer more tubed-shapes for blooms...the shape of double altheas is not at most pollinators top of the list. However, I have grown big puffy marigolds, zinnias, and scabious. Never really watching the activity...but they all end up being pollinated. I would have to agree two weeks of bloom is not much...for what goes into caring for plant. I have salvias in front of one althea...the salvias get the traffic...but I like my long bloom season on the altheas.

May joy be at your door and your troubles far away!

Looks like I won't have that problem...it's dying! I can't figure out why, but the leaves/flowers are shriveling up and turning yellow, then brown. It was gorgeous until a month ago.

I have a double purple rose of sharon that was sent to me as a sample twig from a nursery company. Planted and it did well and the way I have to control it is the deer trim it all the times, they seem to love it. Does anyone else have that problem. Would love to see it bloom but the Deer love it also.