How to Care for a Sugar Tip Rose of Sharon

Sugar Tip Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus “America Irene Scott”) is a late-blooming shrub, ideal for adding soft color to the garden late in the season. Sugar Tip is a deciduous shrub, growing from 8 to 12 feet in height with a 4- to 6-foot spread. It bears double, soft pink blooms in summer through fall within zones 5a through 8b on the U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

Pruning shears
Fertilizer
Miticide

Instructions

- 1
  Grow the Sugar Tip in full sun in standard garden soil.
- 2
  Water the Sugar Tip when the soil is dry to 4 inches in depth. Although the Rose of Sharon is drought-tolerant, in hot weather it is susceptible to spider mite infestations, so water more frequently during those periods.
- 3
  Prune the Sugar Tip Rose of Sharon while it's dormant, in late fall or early spring. Feel free to cut it back as hard as you need to for height or spread control.
- 4
  Fertilize Sugar Tip in early spring. Use a fertilizer that is slow-release and labeled for use on trees and shrubs. Use the rate suggested on the package for the size of the Sugar Tip. If the plant appears to be growing slower than normal, reapply the fertilizer in early to mid-summer.
- 5
  Control spider mites with a miticide labeled for use specifically on this pest. Apply the miticide according to label instructions and repeat every two weeks to kill the newly hatched mites.

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