Q.Rose of Sharon – alive or dead?
I moved to a home with two Rose of Sharon trees/bushes (I don’t know which and I don’t know their age). The first year they bloomed beautifully. Last year one broke off at the ground and the other got leaves on half of it in May and the other half in June. This year there are leaves on only half of it again.
Do both need to be replaced?
Are the bushes receiving enough sunlight? The previous owner may have planted them in a full sun spot but growing trees now have them in shade. It tolerates part shade (4 hrs sun daily) but will flower more is it receives at least 6 hrs. Like other hibiscus, it is late to leaf out in spring. Since it is a rugged shrub, I would think that the broken one will send up new shoots. It often self-sows so look for seedlings. The soil should be damp, not wet and not super dry. Other than that, it is an easy to grow shrub. Have you looked for pests like aphids? Are there any signs of disease? Here is an article that describes leaf spot and fungal root rot. http://homeguides.sfgate.com/treat-diseases-rose-sharon-tree-36426.html
