Orchid Satin® Rose of Sharon

Light Needs

Full Sun

(At Least 6 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

8-12 Feet

Mature Spread

4-6 Feet

Growing Zones

5 to 9

This sterile rose of Sharon takes low-maintenance to a whole new level. Because Orchid Satin® produces no seeds, there are no seedlings to pull out around it, which is a huge plus in the rose of Sharon world. It has the same easy-going nature of its brethren—drought- and heat-tolerant, accepting of many soil types, and no need for fertilizing or pruning, provided you plant it where it can expand to its full height of 8-12 feet and 4-6 feet wide. Even though it is best used in the back of the border due to its stature, it commands attention all summer long with masses of lavender-pink flowers that have a dramatic red eye. It also works well as a hedge or screen and is useful along a road or driveway since it tolerates road salt. You don’t need to worry about Bambi either since rose of Sharon are not palatable to deer.

In early spring, the glossy dark green leaves unfurl from the bare branches. The foliage stays clean and disease-free all through the growing season, and forms the perfect backdrop for the abundant summer flowers that unfurl from tight buds. Each flower lasts about a day and is replaced by more the next day. Rose of Sharon is truly a pollinator’s delight. Stand near one in full bloom and you will see so many different bees, wasps and butterflies visiting the flowers, and even hummingbirds love the abundant nectar. The overall effect is a graceful, long-flowering shrub that is an asset to any full-sun garden.

Orchid Satin Rose of Sharon Care

If you are in the market for a large, easy-care flowering shrub for a full-sun location, Orchid Satin® rose of Sharon is perfect. Site it in the full sun it craves, plant it correctly and keep watered the first growing season and you will be rewarded with a floriferous long-lived shrub that demands very little from you. Correct planting involves digging a hole that is as deep as the root ball and twice as wide. It helps to cut the roots a little, then add a small amount of soil to the planting hole so the root ball sits an inch or so above grade. You can use the native soil to back-fill around the root ball, then water well to settle the soil around the roots.

If you are growing Orchid Satin Rose of Sharon as a hedge, you can prune it in early spring, but it has a naturally graceful habit so it’s really not necessary. Trim off dead or sick branches anytime of the year. If you wish to do aggressive pruning and cutting, do so in late winter. The plant blooms on new wood, so do not cut too much during the summer.

Interesting Fact(s) - Orchid Satin® Rose of Sharon was developed by the same breeder as the Bobo® and Pinky Winky® panicle hydrangeas.

Orchid Satin Rose of Sharon Spacing

Due to its large size, it’s important to site this plant carefully. Consider any nearby plants and structures when choosing its location it and give it enough room to mature so you do not have to trim it to keep it in bounds later (something you will regret every time you have to pull out your loppers). It is a fairly fast grower so can quickly shade out smaller plants around it. If you plant it at the back of a garden bed or as a specimen, leave about 4 feet all around the trunk for growing space. If there is too much bare space for your taste, you can fill in the area for a few growing seasons with short-lived perennials or annuals. For a hedge, pull the plants closer, 6-7 feet center-on-center so they grow together and appear as one continuous mass.

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