Seedlings from White Chiffon hibiscus. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
G.K. of Indianapolis has “Rose of Sharon bushes, which sprout babies everywhere. How can we get them out of our lawn without killing the lawn or doing back-breaking weeding by hand?”
Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), sometimes called althea, is a prolific tree or shrub. A native of Asia, Rose of Sharon has been widely planted as an ornamental in many landscapes because of its long period of late-season blooms. It is blooming now in central Indiana.
Because of how it self sows, this plant is considered an invasive species in several states and listed as a weed by the U.S. Forestry Service.
There are no products that kill only the hibiscus seedlings. However, in the lawn, consistently mowing the seedlings eventually will kill them. Pull or dig them from garden beds.
White Chiffon Rose of Sharon. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
Most of what’s available at garden centers are the prolific types, even the lovely Chiffon series from Proven Winners/ColorChoice.
'Diana' hibiscus does not self sow. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
There are a few sterile cultivars on the market. ‘Diana,’ developed at the U.S. National Arboretum, is probably the best known. I’ve had ‘Diana’ for nearly two decades and have never seen a seedling.
Rose of Sharon does best in full sun, but tolerates a part sun. A shrub can easily be pruned into a tree by removing the lower branches.
Luna Swirl is a small hardy hibiscus that can be grown in a pot for summer enjoyment. Transplant to the ground in fall, if desired. Photo courtesy PanAmerican Seed.
There’s also the native perennial hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos), sometimes called hardy hibiscus or rose mallow. It has large blooms in mid- to late summer. It thrives in wetland areas and would be a good in a rain garden. It adapts well to dry soil. The flowers on this species can be as large as dinner plates or more diminutive at about 4-inch wide. They range in height from 3- to 6 feet. These are not considered invasive. Hibiscus in the Luna series are in the 2- to 3-foot range and can be grown in pots for the summer and transplanted to the ground in fall. This plant is late breaking dormancy in spring. Cut back to the ground in fall.
Another popular sun lover is the tropical hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), which is a summer ornamental shrub or tree. It is not winter hardy here. Bring indoors in fall and place in a bright sunny window for winter blooms.
Hummingbirds visit all types of hibiscus, including this tropical one. (C) Steve Byland/Fotolia
Hummingbirds favor all hibiscus flowers, which last for only one day.
I love my Rose of Sharon and I am not having any trouble with seedlings.I am however having trouble keeping them upright.They are 10 of them in a row,blooming off the charts,randomly one will start tipping then the next season they die.They are not “reaching” for the sun (they are all in full sun)They just in any direction.So far I’ve lost 4.any ideas would be helpful before I replace them next spring.
Thank you
Elaine Ewing
Why are my Rose of Sharon tipping over then the next season they die. Love this web site!Elaine
Jo Ellen,
I posted a blog entry last night about my ‘White Chiffon’ rose of Sharon, and commented about how I love this plant for every reason except the fact that it self-seeds prolifically. Someone commented that she had read that W.C. was sterile, so I googled it and guess what came up: you! I’ve had several rose of sharon that never self-seeded, and I’m pleased to read that you’ve had that experience with Diana. I’ll make note of that. Now when I take the seed pods off of my Chiffon series RoS, I’ll think of you.
Most of the common rose of Sharon do self sow quite a bit. The flowers only last for a day then fall to the ground…picking the spent blooms off the ground might help. I’m not aware of a sterile blue rose of Sharon.
Louise…If you are talking about Hibiscus coccineus…then it might be hardy here. Plant Delights rates it hardy to USDA Zone 6, which with the new hardiness zone map, would be most of Indiana.
http://www.plantdelights.com/Hibiscus-coccineus-Perennial-Scarlet-Mallow/productinfo/1215/