Just when you thought there could not possibly be another Rose of Sharon, or Althea as it is often called, here comes Raspberry Smoothie™ Althea.

Rose of Sharon with the botanical name Hibiscus syriacus is a deciduous shrub that can reach up to 10-12 ft with a spread of 6-8 ft. Easy to grow and hardly bothered by pests, these shrubs, as they come in many varieties and colors, bloom all summer long in full sun and don’t seem to be bothered by the high humidity in our area. Altheas are hardy to Zone 5 and easily adapt to various soil types. Some varieties have an open arching habit and others are more columnar in form.

Raspberry Smoothie™ falls in the latter category and is a medium size Althea that can grow to 8 ft high with a spread of 4 ft. It has beautiful fuchsia colored double blooms, frequently visited by hummingbirds and butterflies, and is drought tolerant once established.

As with most summer flowering shrubs it will benefit from a light shearing in fall after it has finished blooming, or it can be pruned in early spring to maintain a certain size.

We’ll be offering The Raspberry Smoothie™ Althea at our 2019 Fall Plant Sale. Check the website (www.mcmga.com) for more details on the upcoming sale.