Overview
Uses: Mixed borders, outdoor containers, specimen plantings, and pollinator gardens.
Benefits: A dwarf rose of Sharon with rich red flowers from midsummer into fall, when most shrubs are done blooming. Stays about 3–4 feet tall, so it fits small gardens and large containers.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5–9
Sun: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Life Cycle: Deciduous Shrub
Growth Habit: Upright, Rounded — compact and well-branched.
Bloom Color: Red
Foliage Color: Green
Mature Height: 3–4 feet
Mature Width: 3–4 feet
Bloom Season: Midsummer to fall
Growth Rate: Moderate
Summary
Rich red hibiscus flowers in late summer, on a shrub small enough for a patio pot.
Rose of Sharon is one of the few shrubs that saves its big show for the second half of summer, but standard plants grow eight feet or more and can take over a small yard. Lil’ Kim® Red delivers the same late-season flowers on a compact, well-branched plant about three to four feet tall and wide.
Starting in midsummer, open, bowl-shaped flowers in a rich red cover the plant and keep coming into fall, just as many other shrubs have finished. Each bloom lasts about a day, but new buds open steadily, so the plant stays in flower for weeks. Bees work the flowers through the day, and hummingbirds stop by as well.
Its size makes it easy to place: in the middle of a sunny border, as a single accent near a patio, or in a large container on a deck. Pair it with ornamental grasses and late perennials for a bed that peaks as summer turns to fall.
Care
Lil’ Kim® Red Rose of Sharon Care
Plant in full sun for the most flowers. It tolerates partial shade, but blooms less heavily there.
Rose of Sharon adapts to most garden soils, including clay, as long as water does not stand around the roots.
Water deeply once or twice a week through the first growing season. Established plants handle short dry spells but bloom best with regular moisture during hot summers. A two-to-three-inch layer of mulch helps keep the root zone even.
Feed once in spring with a slow release fertilizer.
Rose of Sharon blooms on new wood, so prune in late winter or early spring, before growth begins. Because this plant stays compact, pruning is mostly a matter of shaping and removing any dead tips. It is one of the last shrubs to leaf out in spring, so give it until late spring before deciding any stems are lost. If seedlings appear around the plant, pull them while small; removing faded flowers before seed pods ripen keeps them to a minimum.
Growing in Containers
Its dwarf size suits a large patio container. Use a pot with drainage holes and a quality potting mix, and water when the top inch of soil is dry, which may be daily in midsummer when the plant is in bloom. Feed lightly in spring, since frequent watering washes nutrients from the mix. Roots in containers experience greater cold exposure than roots in the ground. Plants hardy in the ground may require winter protection when grown in containers in colder zones.
Size
What Size is the Lil’ Kim® Red Rose of Sharon for Sale Online?
Our Lil’ Kim® Red Rose of Sharon ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. Plants ship dormant or near dormant in the off-season, so they may arrive as bare stems with few or no leaves. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please contact us.
How Large Does Lil’ Kim® Red Rose of Sharon Grow?
Expect about 3 to 4 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide at maturity, in a compact, upright-rounded shape. Space plants about 3 feet apart for a low flowering hedge.
Additional Information
What is the botanical name of Lil’ Kim® Red Rose of Sharon?
The botanical name is Hibiscus syriacus Lil’ Kim® Red. It is a Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Flowering Shrub selected for red flowers on a dwarf plant.
What are some common names for this plant?
It is most often called rose of Sharon, and is also known as shrub althea.
Why is it so slow to leaf out in spring?
Rose of Sharon is naturally one of the last shrubs to break dormancy, often waiting until late spring when the soil has warmed. Bare stems in April are normal. Scratch a stem with a fingernail; green underneath means it is alive and simply waiting for warmer weather.
How does it compare to standard rose of Sharon?
Standard rose of Sharon often grows 8 to 12 feet tall and needs regular pruning to stay in bounds. Lil’ Kim® Red has the same late-summer flowers on a plant about a third of that height, so it fits small gardens and containers without heavy pruning. For more compact plants suited to pots, browse our Patio Plants, or see all of our Shrubs & Bushes.
