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Deer damage to Rose of Sharon

The deer have nibbled off many of the branches of two Rose of Sharon bushes. Can I trim the branches now to make it look better or should I wait? Some of the branches were eaten almost to the ground and I am afraid that it will look bad as well as take away from branches that will grow.

Late winter before bud break is a good time to prune your Rose of Sharon, Althea (Hibiscus syriacus) . They are moderate growers but will fill in nicely after the severe pruning by deer. Cut out any dead branches and try to even out all the stems so you don’t have an odd shaped shrub.   They bloom on the current seasons growth  (new growth), therefore should reward you with lots of flowers  in late summer.

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4 comments to Deer damage to Rose of Sharon

  • Matthyew Jayson Fritch

    I found this site helpful. We have a lot of deer as well. I would like to know idea’s how to keep our Rose Of Sharon looking nice , I will keep a eye out.

  • Helen

    When is the best time to prune a rose of sharon plant? Is it true that flowers bloom only on new growths of a rose of sharon plant?

    The best time to prune your Rose of Sharon(Hibiscus syriacus) is in late winter or early spring in the northern climates, otherwise the plant does bloom on new growth and therefore pruning can be done anytime of the year. Frequent pruning will give you less but larger flowers whereas none or little pruning will give you many little flowers.

  • Melissa

    i live in ohio and i have an outdoor hardy hibiscus-i cut it back last fall and now, so far, it looks dead-will it come around or did i kill it?

    Hi Melissa
    Not sure which hardy hibiscus you have Hibiscus syriacus (Rose of Sharon) or Hibiscus moscheutos (Perennial hibiscus). Pruning would not kill either. Scratch the bark and see if there is some green in the stem, if so then it’s still alive. You may have Hibiscus moscheutos . They produce diner plate size flowers and the stems die back to the ground. It won’t come back until late spring when the soil warms up and blooms in late summer.

  • james r.hallene

    i have a rose fo sharen bush 5 years old and this year i had chewing insect on the top leaves. i could not locate the insect, do you have any suggestions where to look?.ihave 40 that are 3 years old and were not touched by insects or deer. thanx jim.

    Hi James
    One insect that comes to mind is the Japanese beetle. I don’t know if you get them where you live. They are done chewing on leaves and are in the ground hibernating as grubs at this time.

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