Lucy Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus ‘Lucy’)

Full and ruffled, the Lucy Rose of Sharon is a fantastic ornamental shrub. Lucy Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus ‘Lucy’) is a splendid sight in almost setting! Live large with these softly tropical blooms from mid-summer through fall. You’ll love the form of this plant. Its got an upright growing habit and develops into a graceful vase shape with time.

Your Lucy Rose of Sharon’s most stellar feature is of course its lovely, 4-inch bloom that begins mid-summer and continues into mid-fall. Each delicate blossom is double, with a full, fluffy appearance in hues of red and pink. The diamond-shaped, serrated leaves are a vibrant dark green and present the perfect backdrop for the brilliant flowers!

Also known as Althea, this modern variety of the native Rose Mallow and Hardy Hibiscus family. However, left to grow naturally, Lucy will certainly perform in its naturally superior fashion. Lucy Rose of Sharon is a deciduous shrub that has a multi-stemmed, upright nature with a vase shape and is quite easy to care for, and gardeners of all experience levels throughout USDA growing zones 5-9.

Planting and Application:

Keep Lucy as a bushy shrub or ‘limb up’ and create a multi-trunked tree form specimen plant piece! Either way, This will be a knockout accent on its own, or in groupings that will be every bee, butterfly, and hummingbird’s new favorite hotspot! Plant just one for an impressive specimen in your front yard, or use several en masse in an empty side yard where you’d like to bring in a little color.

Lavish flowering hedges will pump up your privacy, and create “living walls” of a garden room. A single one becomes a magnificent accent plant. Several planted together look amazing at the back of the border or along your fence line. This variety could be the perfect choice as screening all along the outside of your pool deck fencing. Place four feet apart on center, measuring from the center of one to the center of the next.

This shrub works well with many architectural styles. It lends an easy-breezy, Shabby Chic or formal visual appeal to your landscape. Make your space work for you! Leverage that by placing two, flanking either side of your garden gate. You and your guests will enjoy that heightened sense of anticipation on entry into the garden.

• Gorgeous Double Pinkish Red Ruffled Blooms
• Long-Lasting Display Mid-Summer Through Fall
• Butterflies, Bees & Hummingbirds Love the Nectar-Rich Blooms
• Upright, Rounded Form & Pretty Branching Structure
• Easy to Grow & Great for New Gardeners
• Specimens, Privacy & ‘Garden Rooms’ & Shrub or Tree Focal Point

Tips for Care:

Lucy is easy to grow and has no serious insect or disease problems. Althea is adaptable to a wide range of soil conditions and tolerant of full sun all day but also handles partial shade! Rose of Sharon does need well-drained soil but is not particular on the type and even doing well in poor soils. Give them a regular schedule of medium water, especially when they are young plants. Apply a slow-release fertilizer designed for flowering plants at the same time. Follow application rates on the label.

Add a thick layer of arborist mulch in containers and in-ground plants alike. You’ll cut down on surface evaporation with this useful garden must-have, plus provide much-needed insulation from heat and cold.

Lucy Rose of Sharon has no significant insect or disease issues, is heat and humidity tolerant, and is relatively hardy overall. Deadhead your shrub after flowers fade to remove seedheads before they mature to prevent self-seeding. Lucy’s blossoms are large, but you can make them even larger by hard pruning in spring. Renewal prune every 3-5 years to maintain vigor.

• Full Sun & Partial Shade
• Moderate Moisture & Enriched Well-Drained Soil
• Adaptable to a Wide Range of Conditions & Poor Soil
• Tolerates Cold & Salt Spray
• Deer Don’t Prefer the Taste
• Hardy, Heat & Humidity Tolerant

Fabulous flower and form with a late-season bloom! The lovely double Lucy Rose of Sharon and its rosy blossoms will delight you and fill your garden with enjoyment!