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Lil' Kim® Red Rose of Sharon

Hibiscus syriacus 'Lil' Kim Red'

Proven Winners®
  • Hardy in zones 5-9 with excellent heat tolerance and moderate drought resistance once established
  • Compact 3-4 ft size stays tidy without constant pruning, perfect for foundations, borders, and containers
  • Vivid red-magenta blooms with dark burgundy centers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees from midsummer through fall
  • Bred for minimal seed production, eliminating the aggressive self-seeding of traditional Rose of Sharon
$4396
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Plant Size

Planting & Care

Where to Plant

Sunlight: Provide at least six hours of direct sunlight daily for the heaviest flowering. Plants grown in too much shade become leggy and produce fewer blooms. In hot southern climates, afternoon shade is acceptable.

Soil: Adapts to clay, loam, and sandy soils as long as drainage is adequate. For heavy clay, work in compost and coarse organic matter to improve drainage. Sandy soils benefit from added organic matter to retain moisture. Slightly acidic to neutral pH (5.5-7.5) is ideal.

Watering Requirements

Water deeply once or twice weekly during the first two growing seasons to establish a strong root system. Mature plants tolerate dry spells but perform best with occasional deep watering during prolonged drought. Inconsistent moisture during the bloom period can cause buds to drop before opening.

Pruning Tips

Lil' Kim® Red blooms on new wood, so prune in late winter to early spring before new growth emerges. Remove dead, damaged, or crossing branches and shape as desired. Because flowers form on current-season growth, you can prune without worry of cutting off flower buds.

Fertilizer Needs

Apply a balanced, slow-release granular fertilizer (10-10-10 or a bloom-boosting formula) in early spring as new growth begins. One annual application is sufficient. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers, which push leafy growth at the expense of flowers.

Delivery and Shipping

Preorder Shipping Schedule

We ship your plants when it's safe to transport them to your zone. Dates are estimated and subject to weather delays.

Zone 3-4 Week of March 30th
Zone 5 Week of March 16th
Zone 6 Week of March 2nd
Zone 7-12 Week of February 23rd


Shipping Rates

Ships in 3-4 business days • Tracking provided • Weather protected

Under $50 $9.99
$50 - $99.99 $14.99
$100 - $149.99 $16.99
$150 - $198.99 $24.99
$199+ FREE

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Photo courtesy of Proven Winners - www.provenwinners.com

A lovely dwarf hibiscus variety, with rich, rose-pink blooms, and dark red eyes! This combo sets the Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Lil' Kim® Red Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus 'SHIMRR38') apart from others! Dwarf Hibiscus are woody, deciduous shrubs that stay just the right size, reaching a height and spread of only 3 to 4 feet!

This long-lived, easy-care, and dependable summer-to-fall rebloomer puts forth its magnificent flowers atop its attractive and contrasting green foliage. Lil’ Kim® is compact, vase-shaped and very elegant anywhere you plant her. The foliage is broadly ovate, starting out in late spring as pale yellow-green and then becoming dark green for summer. Fall turns the foliage to yellow for the final show of the season!

Lil' Kim® Red is a wonderfully easy-to-grow ornamental flowering shrub! Hardy throughout USDA growing zones 5 to 9, these Tropical Hibiscus cousins are just as exotic as they are easy to grow and cold-hardy! Also known as Althea, Red looks great with the others in the Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Lil' Kim® line of Rose of Sharon!

Planting and Application:

Perfect for a smaller yard, the Lil' Kim® Red Rose of Sharon's green foliage and unique bloom color will work wonderfully in conjunction with other flowering shrubs and perennials. The dwarf size makes it a great option for containers on your patio. You'll love the attention and visitors these shrubs attract, so set out a garden bench and see how many bees, butterflies, and Hummingbirds stop by for a visit!

Try planting Lil' Kim® in sunny, mixed borders or towards the back of your perennial border, for a sunny informal hedge loaded with color, foundation planting, or as a smaller focal point in your landscape! A single specimen planting or a grouping has as much an impact on your curb appeal as a magnificent en mass display! So use the vivid flowers to call attention to a berm in your front yard, or set your home apart when planted as either a single driveway marker or an entire division hedge between your yard and the sidewalk!

Lil' Kim® Red is perfect for sunny beds and borders, small gardens, and courtyards. Will be lovely as hedges and screen! This variety could be the perfect choice for use as screening all along the outside of your pool deck fencing. Place four feet apart on center, measuring from the center of one to the center of the next.

No yard? Grow Red as a "Thriller" in a large outdoor container or planter. Finally gain privacy on your balcony with a hard-working, lovely, flowering backdrop!

  • Rose Pink, with Red Eyes
  • Hardy Dwarf Variety - Easy Care Flowering Shrub
  • Attracts Pollinators & Hummingbirds
  • Starts Blooming When Other Shrubs are Done for the Season
  • Specimens & Focal Points, Low Hedges & Containers

#ProPlantTips for Care:

Lil' Kim® loves to be planted in full sun to part shade but flower production is best in full sun. Plant Rose of Sharon in average moisture locations, in well-drained organically rich soil but will also tolerate poor soil. Tolerant of drought, urban conditions, heat and humidity, deer don't prefer this hardy shrub! A three-inch layer of arborist mulch over the root systems keeps them happy and cool. Reapply regularly, and it will work to improve the condition of your soil over time.

If you need to prune Lil’ Kim®, prune back 2-3 buds in late winter or early spring to encourage larger blooms. You can prune Althea to shape them or reduce their height. We do recommend you allow them to fill out their naturally graceful full spread. Tidy them as you like, but shearing is perhaps a bit extreme. Renewal prune every 3-5 years to maintain vigor.

  • Full Sun
  • Any Kind of Well-Drained Soil
  • Moderate Moisture Needs
  • Appreciates Mulched Beds
  • Low Maintenance & Spring Pruning
  • Tolerates Salt & Deer Don't Prefer the Taste

The little beauty, Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Lil' Kim® Red Rose of Sharon from our experts at Nature Hills! You'll enjoy everything you love about Althea but in a neat and tidy, compact smaller form! Order today from Nature Hills Nursery, to have these blooming in your landscape next summer!

Tree Form vs. Shrub Form

The details make all the difference in a garden. At Naturehills.com, we understand that little things like what form a plant is can greatly impact how you plan your landscape. So before you buy, don't forget to check which form you're getting.

Tree Form:

These are plants that have one stem coming from the ground. Plants can also be considered single stem when lower branches are removed to raise the height of the branching to a more desired height. Sometimes, you will hear a tree form referred to as a single stem.

Shrub Form:

These are bushy plants with many stems and branchings close to the ground. They are referred to as shrubs or bushes and are often shorter than their tree forms.

Growing Zones 5-9

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Lil' Kim® Red Rose of Sharon invasive like traditional varieties?
  • No. Traditional Rose of Sharon self-seeds aggressively and is considered invasive in parts of the Southeast. Lil' Kim® Red was specifically bred for minimal seed production, so you get the flowers without the weedy seedlings popping up everywhere.

Why hasn't my Rose of Sharon leafed out yet in spring?
  • This is completely normal. Rose of Sharon is one of the last shrubs to leaf out, often waiting until May or even June in northern zones. Scratch a small section of bark; if you see green tissue underneath, the plant is alive and will leaf out once temperatures warm.

Can I grow Lil' Kim® Red in a container?
  • Yes, the compact 3-4 ft size makes it ideal for containers. Use a pot of at least 15 gallons with drainage holes, quality potting mix, and water consistently since containers dry out faster than garden soil. In zones 5-6, move containers to a protected spot or insulate them for winter.

When is the best time to prune?
  • Prune in late winter to early spring before new growth begins. Since Lil' Kim® Red blooms on new wood (current season's growth), you can cut it back without removing flower buds. Remove dead or crossing branches and shape as needed.

Will it attract hummingbirds?
  • Absolutely. Ruby-throated hummingbirds are drawn to the red blooms, and they visit frequently from midsummer through fall. Plant Lil' Kim® Red near a window or seating area to enjoy the show.
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