Paraplu Rouge Rose of Sharon

• Full Sun (At Least 6 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)
• Height 6 - 10 Feet
• Width 5 Feet
• Growing Zones 5-9

North and South gardeners, and all regions in between, will enjoy the beauty of the quintessential Rose of Sharon. This lovely tree-like shrub is available with flowers in colors of purple, pink, blue and white, and now here comes a new color on the horizon. While there is no true red Rose of Sharon yet, Paraplu Rouge is the closest with its single petaled, deep pink/red tones. Hardy in Zones 5b through 9a, Rose of Sharon have graced homes for decades, creating hedges and specimen or foundation focal points with their lovely form. Not your stiff, formal tree, Paraplu has a light airy appearance that sways in the breeze creating an additional visual appreciation in your landscape. It grows to about 10 feet tall and 5 feet wide.

Although a deciduous tree in most regions, Rose of Sharon can be semi-evergreen in areas with milder winter temperatures. It is in these zones that it can become invasive and has earned it a spot on some invasive species lists in some states. Consult your agricultural extension office for more information. They grow vigorously with a strong tap root and spread by seed pods that appear in fall after the flowers are gone. Blooming from late July to August, depending on what zone you are in, Rose of Sharon will fill your need for color when other shrubs have gone flower dormant for the summer due to the heat.

Paraplu Rouge Rose of Sharon Care

Growing along city streets as well as country lanes, Rose of Sharon is tolerant of a wide variety of habitat conditions. Typically mildly drought resistant once first established, it appreciates a good deep watering once a week when planted in good rich humus soil with an average pH of 5.5 to 7.5, mildly acidic to neutral. It prefers full sun and will tolerate light shade but will sacrifice some bloom volume accordingly. While it needs good nutrition, a good application of light, well composted material should be all the extra nutrition it needs in most soils. Dig a hole deeper and wider than the pot it comes in and amend your native soil with compost and peat moss to create an environment that roots can easily grow in.

Most Rose of Sharon do not need pruning as they maintain a neat upright habit in your landscape. Should you be concerned about reseeding, deadheading spent flowers will help prevent seed formation and limit any unwanted spread. In colder winter regions, apply a thick layer of mulch, about 2 inches, around the root zone of your shrub but hold it back from the main stem about 2 inches to prevent root rot. If your plant dies down to the ground due to a particularly harsh winter, prune it all the way back to the soil level for a chance of renewed growth in the spring.

Paraplu Rouge Rose of Sharon Spacing

Unless you are creating a hedge with these upright shrubs, space plants out about 5 feet apart. When using as a foundation shrub for your landscape, consider planting in an odd number of quantities, such as 1, 3, or 5 and so on, for the most attractive arrangement. Rose of Sharon makes an attractive specimen shrub with its dark green slightly serrated leaves and is a good candidate for patio container planting as it is a slow grower.