"Rose of Sharon" Question

Guns286

Sapling
Messages
34
Reaction score
0
Location
Tuckahoe, New York (USA)
USDA Zone
7a
I took a trip to a local nursery and found a Hibiscus, "Rose of Sharon", with a really interesting trunk (I'll try to post pics of it later). The worker ended up giving it to me for free! It must have been sitting there for awhile because the soil was covered in weeds. Its in a 5+ gallon plastic pot and the tree itself is about 4'-5' tall. Due to the length of time that I think its been sitting around and the impression I get when I look at and touch the soil, I think this plant is root-locked.
Since it is the beginning of Fall here should I just get it ready for winter and wait to work on it until next Spring? Or, should I chop the roots, re-plant in better soil, and trim up the branches, before winterizing it?
FYI, the plant itself isn't in the best condition. I'm not an expert, by far, but it looks like its been thru some rough times.
 

Paradox

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
9,338
Reaction score
11,405
Location
Long Island, NY
USDA Zone
7a
I dont know much about hibiscus, but my gut feeling is to overwinter it the best you can and repot in the spring.
October is not the right time to repot most things in the Northeast.
 

Cadillactaste

Neagari Gal
Messages
16,262
Reaction score
20,884
Location
NE Ohio: zone 4 (USA) lake microclimate
USDA Zone
5b
Hibiscus is known to be hardy. If anything I have noticed black spot on many...recently in my neck of the woods. I would be leery messing with roots at this stage. Trying to just give it care it may need. It may need a fungicide over a root problem. Though removing the weeds in the pot I would.

Have a photo of it for us to maybe help with what is wrong?
 

berobinson82

Omono
Messages
1,515
Reaction score
441
Location
Central Virginia, US
USDA Zone
7a
From my understanding they can be root-abused almost like an olive... in spring. I picked up one this year also and look forward to comparing notes with you next year.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_6759.jpg
    IMG_6759.jpg
    208.3 KB · Views: 149

jk_lewis

Masterpiece
Messages
3,817
Reaction score
1,160
Location
Western NC
USDA Zone
7-8
I've never considered one for bonsai, especially since I do smallish trees and these pretty much have to be quite large. I would suspect that in upstate NY(? I don't know right where your town is), though that it is NOT at all winter hardy and will need full protection from the cold.
 

Diolated

Seedling
Messages
23
Reaction score
17
Location
Northern Michigan
I'd wait

I actually have a fair amount of experience with both growing and trying to bonsai hibiscus. Leaf size is always a problem though, and as such, the good hibiscus I have seen are generally "larger" in overall size as compared to other more commonly used bonsai species. That said, I would leave it alone until the spring, particularly if you are going to do some serious chopping and b/c tje plant isn't all that healthy already. Hibiscus are relatively hardy, but kind of finicky when pruned hard and are susceptible to dieback. In fact, you may want to wait a year or so before doing anything major to get it healthy again. If I were you, I would start with a light root pruning/branch pruning and repot in a large pot with really well draining soil in the late winter/early spring. Keep it out of direct sunlight, and once you see new growth give it light fertilizer with every watering. Hibiscus can eat a lot, and in general seem to respond really well to a medium/low/high type of fertilizer mix (eg. 15-5-25). Would love to see a photo. Good luck.
 

Cadillactaste

Neagari Gal
Messages
16,262
Reaction score
20,884
Location
NE Ohio: zone 4 (USA) lake microclimate
USDA Zone
5b
I've never considered one for bonsai, especially since I do smallish trees and these pretty much have to be quite large. I would suspect that in upstate NY(? I don't know right where your town is), though that it is NOT at all winter hardy and will need full protection from the cold.

Depends on the hibiscus...is it a tropical? Or not. This past winter we had serious die back and just plain dead trees in ones landscape from the arctic air that blew through and decided to stay longer than it was welcomed. My neighbor had one that totally looked dead...when everyone was ripping out trees after giving them plenty of time to bounce back. His one of two trees did absolutely nothing. No signs of life...as the one beside it grew foliage and then bloomed. It made me sad driving by it seeing one lush and in bloom...the other a dead bush in the ground. When...surprisingly...foliage started to appear! It is now just as lush...and blooming strong. So...if it's the right hibiscus then it should be okay I would think...I mean...-20's and pulling through in my neck of the woods. Though...if it's a tropical...then it won't survive the cold. Which my step mom sadly planted a few years back. Though I honestly don't know how cold it gets there in NY. So...you might be right...but, know that they did well for our area. Even in the arctic cold we had last year.

Now...surprising me...I purchased a lil' Kim for it's much smaller blooms...and it reverted to full blooms the following year in ground. But, I noticed it reverting back to the smaller blooms this year. So hibiscus have no rhyme or reason I came to figure out. I love them in landscape...but, because I have so many...they don't inspire me to bonsai them.
 
Messages
110
Reaction score
44
Location
Murray, KY
USDA Zone
7a
If it is "Rose of Sharon" hibiscus, it is Hibiscus syriacus, which is not tropical, and is reasonably winter hardy. I have had one in training for a number of years. I have kept it relatively small, about 13.5" from the rim of its pot. The leaves do reduce, but the flowers do not. If you want the tree to be in proportion to the flowers, it would have to be a large bonsai indeed. I just settle for the occasional (large) flower as an accent, and usually keep it flowerless. That said, with regard to leaf size, it would probably be more convincing if it were larger.

If you do a chop on it, bear in mind that in at least my experience, healing over is very slow, it at all, so it would be a good idea to make sure the wound is in back unless you plan on a uro. I would leave any major root work until spring.

Here are couple of recent photos:

IMG_2919.jpgIMG_2920.jpg

With regard to hardiness, it came through our last western Kentucky winter OK (low temps around 0 deg F, highs around 5 deg. for 2-3 days running in Dec., and a low of 10 deg. in early March) What I do find is that the timing of its leafing out in spring is highly variable, depending on the winter. After very mild winters, it has begun to show green in early March, while this year it did not show green until the last week of May! For much of the spring, I was seriously worried about whether it had survived the winter, but when it did come out of dormancy, it virtually exploded with new growth, none the worse for wear.

Oliver
 
Last edited:

Guns286

Sapling
Messages
34
Reaction score
0
Location
Tuckahoe, New York (USA)
USDA Zone
7a
Thanks for all the info! Here's a full picture of her and a picture of the trunk. As you can see there is sporadic growth at the top, mostly. I did pull all of the weeds out. What do you guys think?
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    206.2 KB · Views: 106
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    205.5 KB · Views: 105

Cadillactaste

Neagari Gal
Messages
16,262
Reaction score
20,884
Location
NE Ohio: zone 4 (USA) lake microclimate
USDA Zone
5b
imagejpg1_zps6a1ffd29.jpg

It has GREAT potential for some fun...now the branch on the right that is thickest...seems very straight. If that the case, I would chop it next year. Along with the others I have marked...and keeping some of the top of what is left.

Now that is what I would do...let's see what more experienced bonsai folk pipe in.
 
Last edited:

Guns286

Sapling
Messages
34
Reaction score
0
Location
Tuckahoe, New York (USA)
USDA Zone
7a
imagejpg1_zps6a1ffd29.jpg

It has GREAT potential for some fun...now the branch on the right that is thickest...seems very straight. If that the case, I would chop it next year. Along with the others I have marked...and keeping some of the top of what is left.

Now that is what I would do...let's see what more experienced bonsai folk pipe in.

I was thinking that those 2 on the right have to go too. I'm glad to see that my eye is starting to pick up on this stuff.
 

Gaitano

Shohin
Messages
278
Reaction score
457
Location
St. Louis Missouri
USDA Zone
6A
Rose of Sharon

I dug one up out of the yard this spring and it didn't really skip a beat. The trunk didn't back bud low until this fall, which had me wondering if I would need to air layer, but low and behold I have a low bud. The leaf size is good and the flowers are always nice.

These seem to be pretty hardy in my area. I chop hard on the half dozen in my yard and they sprout again the following spring.

I think these pics are from late spring. You can see the chop spot is as earlier noted in a post, a slow healer.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    192.7 KB · Views: 94
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    73.4 KB · Views: 97

Guns286

Sapling
Messages
34
Reaction score
0
Location
Tuckahoe, New York (USA)
USDA Zone
7a
Thanks Darlene. When I saw it, it just stuck out to me.
Ok, so I guess the consensis is to button it down for the Winter and see how it looks in early Spring. At that point I can trim the branches and roots, and repot.
 

Cadillactaste

Neagari Gal
Messages
16,262
Reaction score
20,884
Location
NE Ohio: zone 4 (USA) lake microclimate
USDA Zone
5b
Thanks Darlene. When I saw it, it just stuck out to me.
Ok, so I guess the consensis is to button it down for the Winter and see how it looks in early Spring. At that point I can trim the branches and roots, and repot.

Especially with it going dormant for winter. I would...good find though!
 
Top Bottom