Red Pillar Rose of Sharon
Hibiscus syriacus 'GFNHSRP'

Height: 15 feet
Spacing: 3 feet
Sunlight: Full sun / Partial shade
Hardiness Zone: 5a
Other Names: Shrub Althea

Description:
A narrow, columnar shrub with dazzling rose-pink semi-double blooms featuring rich red centers from summer into fall. This very adaptable plant performs best in full sun and makes an elegant choice for entryways, privacy screens, or vertical accents in the landscape.

Ornamental Features:
Red Pillar Rose of Sharon features bold semi-double rose trumpet-shaped flowers with pink overtones, creamy white throats, and crimson centers along the branches from mid summer to early fall. It has dark green deciduous foliage, and the lobed leaves do not develop notable fall color.

Landscape Attributes:
Red Pillar Rose of Sharon is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a narrowly upright, columnar growth habit. Its average texture blends into the landscape but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a high maintenance shrub that requires regular care and upkeep and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds, but is not particularly attractive to deer. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristics that may warrant special consideration:
- Insects
- Disease

Red Pillar Rose of Sharon is recommended for the following landscape applications:
- Accent
- Mass Planting
- Hedges and Screening
- General Garden Use
- Container Planting

Planting & Growing:
Red Pillar Rose of Sharon will grow to be about 15 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of approximately 3 feet. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced about 3 feet apart. It tends to be slightly leggy, with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This shrub performs best in full sun to partial shade and prefers average to moist growing conditions. It should not be allowed to dry out. For best flowering performance, apply a flower-boosting fertilizer periodically from early spring through the active growing season. It is not particular about soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. Applying a thick mulch around the root zone during the growing season helps conserve soil moisture. This is a selected variety of a species not originally native to North America.

Red Pillar Rose of Sharon makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape and is also well suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Its tall, upright habit makes it effective as a solitary accent or surrounded by smaller and trailing plants around the base. It is sizeable enough to be grown alone in a suitable container. Plants grown in containers may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag and typically require more frequent watering than those grown in the landscape.