Hardy Hibiscus/ Rose of Sharon Dormancy

13 years ago

I have read that the Hardy Hibiscus/Rose of Sharon are late and one of the last plants to come up in the spring. Once we had a hardy hibiscus tree long ago that bloomed all season, we covered for winter, and it didn't come up the next spring so the parents yoinked it out. Now reading that they come up late I am thinking the one we had probably wasn't dead after all. I am in zone 5a, northeastern IL, so I am wondering about people in this zone, about what month do you expect yours to start showing life? I am thinking of getting one to try again to replace my butterfly bush, since the bush grows slow and sparse each year, it looks like an empty gap between the joe pye weed and the swamp milkweed.

Comments (2)

tomva
13 years ago
rose of sharons will get leaves very early just when trees get leaves,they dont come up they are already up maybe diff. in zone 5 but here in zone 7 they get leaves in early april.my rose of sharons are blooming now
Vicki
13 years ago
Rose of Sharon in this zone starts showing life in May, well after trees start leafing out, and blooms in Mid August. This year however, must be a really freaky year. I woke up this morning to fine 2 blooms on mine. I have never seen them bloom this early. I even pruned mine back, then transplanted it bareroot in April of this year and it bounced right back at the usual time in May as though nothing had been done to it. Maybe that's why the early bloom, I don't know. I've never seen anyone is this zone cover them for the winter. Don't think that would be necessary but yes, I suspect your tree/shrub years ago was still alive.