I have 6 or so in a hedge row shaded by ornamental cherry trees. The conditions are not optimal as the cherry trees make it shady and very dry. I prune the Diana's down to 4-5 early every spring to ensure my privacy as the other side of the hedge row is a sidewalk. The plants are not the most floriferous I have ever seen. I get a steady pour of flowers late summer and early fall. But never covered with flowers. I have very few seedlings and it isn't clear wether the seedlings are from Diana or migrating birds. With fuller sun you might get more flowers. I'd say that given the suboptimal site and treatment I have given the Diana's, the performace has been good.

I had Althea Hibiscus syriacus 'red heart' until last year and a white double variety that is blooming right now. I think the red heart was actually fairly hardy-I had it for 3 years-I just made the mistake of transplanting it to an exposed western location last year. I think the trick to growing them here is to have them in a full sun in a somewhat protected location. And to mulch them really well in late fall. They also don't like to be crowded too much-I've noticed that branches too close to other shrubs don't come back. Flowerwise-they do pretty much the same thing as hardy hisbiscus-the flowers look similar (at least red heart's did)-only smaller-and only last for one day. The advantage of the rose of sharon is that there are a few more flowers (and different choice of colors) on stronger, woody stems vs hardy hibiscus, and their water requirements are somewhat less than hardy hibiscus. The disadvantage is that rose of sharon is less hardy than hardy hibiscus and is really slow to come back in the spring-so you basically have what looks like a dead shrub until the middle or end of may.

Hi orcascove, I have a little trick that will help you see what the immature pods look like. Look at your bush and find a flower in bloom. Take a bright piece of ribbon or something similar and loosely tie it to the stem below the flower. Just make sure it's loose so as not to damage the stem. Once the flower has been pollinated and falls off, you will still know exactly where the developing seed pod is. You will now be able to watch the pod as it matures and turns from green to brown. Once it turns completely brown, watch for signs that it is starting to break open. It will be ready for you to gather seeds. I don't know how old your bushes are, but trust me, they will produce a lot of seeds. Usually, you can start looking for ripe pods from the end of summer into fall. Hope this helps you out. BTG

Image by: wintersown Rose of Sharon Seed Pods Rose of Sharon is one of the most common summer-flowering ornamental bushes in North America. Its old fashioned charm, hibiscus-like flowers and affordability make it a garden favorite. Rose of Sharon seeds are a bountiful food source for non-migratory birds during the winter, these bushes should be part of all habitat gardens. Seed collection is easy. Allow the flowers to fade, do not shear back or prune the bush after flowering. Seed pods are somewhat tear-shaped, fat and nearly an inch across, immature pods are medium green. When mature they turn dusty brown and split apart with a star shaped opening. Remove the mature pods and allow to dry for a few days to ease with seed removal. Several dried pods can be placed in a tightly lidded plastic container to be shaken, the rattling will loosen and release the seeds from the pods. Remove the empty pods and puff the chaff away to have clean seeds. The seeds themselves are reddish brown, flat discs, and a little more than a 1/4" across.