Bluebird Rose of Sharon Hibiscus Shrub for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by Mary Van Keuren | Gardener (30+ Years Experience) – last update on October 20, 2022

Planting instructions

Site your Bluebird Rose of Sharon where it will get at least six to eight hours of sunlight a day and in soil that drains well. Unpot your shrub and tease out any encircling roots which can girdle the tree and slowly kill it. Dig a hole that’s as deep as the root ball and twice as wide. Place the shrub in the hole and spread out the roots. Holding it upright and steady, fill in around the roots with topsoil—tamping down as you go to eliminate air pockets. Water thoroughly. Apply a two to three-inch layer of organic mulch such as bark chips around the root zone to conserve moisture and hinder weed growth but keep it from touching the trunk to avoid problems with rot.

Watering and nutrients

When newly planted, water your shrub every few days until you start to see robust new growth on the branches. Then scale back to once-a-week waterings unless it is very hot or dry—in that case, you should increase watering. In general, you can tell if your shrub needs water by digging down two inches near the plant—if the soil is dry there, give it a drink. Fertilize your Bluebird Rose of Sharon in spring with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer such as a 10-10-10 formula that’s designed for landscape trees and shrubs.

Pollination

Although Bluebird Rose of Sharon’s spectacular flowers are attractive to pollinators, it is a sterile cultivar, and the flowers are not part of a reproductive strategy for the plant.

Pruning

Prune out any dead, damaged or diseased branches whenever you see them. In early spring, prune back branches to an outward-facing bud to shape the tree or to encourage new growth.

Pests and diseases

The Bluebird Rose of Sharon has few insect pests or diseases that bother it. Keep an eye out for aphids, thrips and mealybugs, although a healthy shrub can generally handle mild infestations with little problem. If insect pressure is severe, consider releasing beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings. Diseases that may occur on a rose of Sharon include leaf spot and leaf rust—both of which are fungal diseases. Always water at the base of the trunk to avoid wetting the leaves and space your shrubs appropriately so that there is good air circulation between them.

Achieving maximum results

Knowing how to use a Bluebird Rose of Sharon hibiscus shrub in your landscape is one way to achieve maximum results. This shrub is an excellent foundation planting and would work well near the back of a mixed perennial bed. It is tall enough that it can be used to create a formal or informal privacy hedge or border planting and would look splendid if planted on either side of a front entryway. It can also be grown easily in a container and placed in the corner of a patio or sun deck.

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