I did not mention, the four that I found at the nursery later after my earlier started cuttings had just begun to root. One of the four I purchased at the nursery looked like it was struggling at the time I purchased it. It clearly had a thcker trunk and was about 8 inches tall. I brought it home and transplanted it to a 3 gallon pot. It too has been growing under the oak tree. Now it has abundant and nice dark leaves, and its main leader trunk is about 1/4th inch thick. All summer long its flower buds just dried up. I think that might have been due to the amount of shade where it was located. when I purchased that larger one, I also found three more that were in 4 inch pots. Their trunks are about 1/8th inch thick now, and have developed lots of dark green leaves and has bloomed a little under the dappled afternoon shade of the oak tree. At Ken's advice I took those 4 young potted starts out and set them just south of some taller azaleas, west of a still young camelia, and a few feet just east of my house. It seems reasonable that they will survive the winter if I dump them out of the pots to plant and over winter them in that location. But I am still concerned about the rooted cuttings that have been staying alive in 6 inch pots under my oak tree. They look healthy now, and I know I need to take them out from under so much shade. The fact that their main leader trunks are only about 1/32 or just slightly thicker, makes me doubt that they can survive our outside winter condtions, even when they go dormant. I do not have a greenhouse, but should I find someone with one, who is willing to over winter these 4 smallest ones in their greenhouse for me?

ROS should survive your zone - they do mine and I'm a high 5/ low 6. Since they are newly planted, make sure they get lots of water this fall so they establish their roots. Water deeply at least once a week if you don't get an inch or so of rain during that week. Do not fertilize. Especially if using a high nitrogen fertilizer. It's best not to encourage growth above ground at this time of year. You want the plant to concentrate on roots. When things get really cool, mulch. You can use shredded leaves - these are the best. A 4 inch mulch above the root area will be sufficient. In the spring, be patient. ROS has a nasty habit of leafing out late and a lot of folks think they are dead and take them out too soon. Don't, and if it gets through, you will be rewarded with a beautiful plant in bloom next fall!

So, while not ideal leaving the rootball exposed for an extended period of time, 25 degrees is probably not cold enough to have killed the roots on a Rose of Sharon. Root desiccation is also a concern but hopefully you dodged that one too.

I have no problems with fortuniana grafted roses where I live (far N.E. GA.). I'm careful on first years plants. The graft union is still tender and if it's going to get 28 or colder, I'll take an old bath towel and gently wrap the bottom of the bush. After they get through that first winter, I have never had any problems. Now I just blow fallen leaves into the garden for the winter. Although Fortuniana is an "evergreen", it can be slowed down during cool weather. I just stop feeding after mid Sept. When the blooms are finished during Nov., I just cut the blooms off instead of cutting further down the stem.