Q.Potted Rose of Sharon winter care
I received a young rose of Sharon plant from a friend, about 1 foot tall now, that I would like to grow in a pot to put on my patio. I would like to know if it would survive the winter here in Newmarket, ON, which is zone 5a. If it is too small to survive in a pot, what should I do with it for the winter? This is my first rose of Sharon tree, so any detailed advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
Your Canadian zone 5 will be the equivalent to our zone 4. They will not survive the outdoors very well. They are only suited to our zone 5, which is your zone 6, so you will be a little too far outside of their native range.
I would keep this as a container shrub, and maintain the root size to fit a large pot.
This article will help you to prune this shrub, which you will do along with trimming the largest roots out completely each year during the winter when you repot: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/rose-of-sharon/pruning-rose-of-sharon.htm
