Lil Kim® Rose of Sharon

Light Needs

Full Sun

(At Least 6 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

3-4 Feet

Mature Spread

3-4 Feet

Growing Zones

5 to 9

Add refined beauty and a ton of flower power to your garden with Lil’ Kim® Rose of Sharon! This small-but-mighty floral powerhouse pumps out the blooms all summer long, and frames them with deep green foliage that stays healthy from spring to frost. Lil’ Kim® is perfect for smaller gardens that don’t have the space for full-sized rose of Sharon since it tops out at just 4 feet tall and wide. Its easy-going demeanor makes it one of the lowest maintenance shrubs you’ll enjoy in your garden.

Lil’ Kim® makes a perfect companion to other sun-loving shrubs and perennials in garden borders and beds. You can also use it to great effect massed in larger planting areas or as a low hedge. Its small size is great in containers too. With its crisp white flowers that have a bright red splash in the center, Lil’ Kim® really shows up at a distance when in bloom, so you’ll see it when planted further away in the garden. Just give it the sun it craves and you’ll be rewarded with an easy-care shrub that is smothered in flowers for most of the summer. Pollinators love it too!

Lil’ Kim Red Rose of Sharon Care

Rose of Sharon are such drought-resistant and easy-care plants, you’ll love having them in your garden. The key requirement is as much sun as possible for the best flower show. Whatever garden soil you have is fine, just remove any large rocks at planting time. You don’t need to add compost or other amendments when you back-fill the planting hole (dig it as deep as the root ball and twice as wide). Water thoroughly and keep it well watered the first growing season, especially when it gets hot and dry during the height of summer. You can skip fertilizer, but if you want to feed it, do so in the spring using a granular slow-release fertilizer that is labeled for use on flowering shrubs.

Pruning Lil' Kim Rose of Sharon is not necessary. Some gardeners do choose to prune in late winter or early spring to help maintain the shape or to rejuvenate the plant. Trim off dead or sick branches anytime of the year. The growth of the shrub has a naturally neat upright habit without any pruning though.

Lil’ Kim Red Rose of Sharon Spacing

Lil’ Kim® is half the size of regular rose of Sharon shrubs, making it perfect for smaller, sunnier spots and even containers. Just make sure you plant it in a large enough pot that will not tip over when it reaches its full 3- to 4-foot height and width. When planting in the ground, give it 2.5-3 feet of space all around before planting any other shrubs or perennials near it so it has room to fill in. Snug it a little closer when planting as a mass or hedge, about 2 feet center-on-center.