Sugar Tip Rose of Sharon
Hibiscus syriacus 'America Irene Scott'

Height: 10 feet
Spread: 5 feet
Sunlight: Full sun / Partial shade
Hardiness Zone: 4b
Other Names: Shrub Althea

Description:
Brightly variegated sea-green and cream foliage lights up the landscape on this tall, stiffly upright shrub with a vase-shaped habit. It is loaded with extremely showy clear pink double flowers throughout summer and is very adaptable, though it performs best in full sun.

Ornamental Features:
Sugar Tip Rose of Sharon features bold double pink round flowers along the branches from mid summer to early fall. It has attractive creamy white-variegated bluish-green foliage, and the lobed leaves are highly ornamental though they do not develop notable fall color.

Landscape Attributes:
Sugar Tip Rose of Sharon is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. 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

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

Planting & Growing:
Sugar Tip Rose of Sharon will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet. 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. It is not particular about soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally native to North America.

Sugar Tip 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 planted with smaller and trailing companions 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.