Call me crazy, but I'm looking at three Rose-of-Sharon to bonsai. Remember, many grow flowering trees and shrubs, not to conform with typical bonsai rules but to make a wide visual experience of "wall-of'flowers". If you can get the shrub to survive in a bonsai pot, prune and train it to be wide from the front and very narrow from the side, it just might be worth the experimentation. OR, just plant it along a fence and prune it the same way and get a yard shrub that makes a great flowering statement without taking up so much space. Jay

I'm looking for any type of seed from rose of sharon "Freedom," "Blue Bird," "Aphrodite," "Blushing Bride" and "Helene" or from 'Hybiscus Syriacus' plant and Morning Glory. This year I'm trying to grow all different types of plants from the same family so I can SASE next fall. Hummingbirds collecting nectar from these flowers which I'm looking forward to see next year. Thank you all, Mary

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.