Professional Growing Information 
I have had this plant for three years now. I had bought two and the one in a pot didnt make it through the first Winter (zone 8b). The flowers are gorgeous on the one that made it, but in three years I have only had blooms in August. Also, when it rained the first time this year, it flopped and never came back up. The only thing that has worked to get it upright is to completely surround it with 4 foot tall trellises. Im hoping it will get stronger, but it definitely doesnt seem pillar like to me (and weve had almost no rain this year. A record for draught in fact). Sad because its so pretty!
Purple Pillar® Rose of Sharon Hibiscus syriacus
Exposure
- Sun
Flower Season
- Summer
Mature Size
Height: 10' - 16'
Spread: 4' - 5'
Height: 3.0m - 4.9m
Spread: 1.2m - 1.5m
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Details
120 - 192 Inches48 - 60 Inches48 - 60 Inches3.0m - 4.9m1.2m - 1.5m1.2m - 1.5mFeatures
You've never seen a rose of Sharon like this before!
Purple Pillar® is a totally unique rose of Sharon: it naturally grows as a narrow column instead of a wide, spreading plant. It gets to be just 4-5' (1.2-1.5 m) wide and 10-16' tall! Think of what you could do with that: screens, hedges, patio containers. Anywhere you need a little privacy and/or color in a narrow space, this plant is a great choice. Like most all hibiscus, it will do best in full sun. It is hardy to USDA Zone 5.
In summer, each stem is packed along its entire length with purple blooms. This unusual columnar habit makes it a real space saver - if you thought you didn't have enough space to grow rose of Sharon, Purple Pillar is perfect for you. Try it in containers, or flanking your front door, or simply as a quirky accent in your landscape.
Awards: Green Thumb award, Direct Gardening Association; Silver medal, Plantarium 2016.
Best SellerContinuous Bloom or RebloomerLong BloomingHeat TolerantDrought TolerantAttracts:BeesButterfliesHummingbirdsResists:DeerCharacteristics
Plant Type:ShrubShrub Type:DeciduousHeight Category:TallGarden Height:120 - 192 Inches 3.0m - 4.9mSpacing:48 - 60 Inches 1.2m - 1.5mSpread:48 - 60 Inches 1.2m - 1.5mFlower Colors:PurpleFoliage Colors:GreenFoliage Shade:GreenHabit:UprightContainer Role:ThrillerPlant Needs
Light Requirement:SunThe optimum amount of sun or shade each plant needs to thrive: Full Sun (6+ hours), Part Sun (4-6 hours), Full Shade (up to 4 hours).
Maintenance Category:EasyBlooms On:New WoodBloom Time:Summer through FallHardiness Zones:5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9bWater Category:LowNeeds Good DrainageUses:Border PlantUses:ContainerUses:Good for ScreeningUses:LandscapeUses:Mass PlantingUses:Specimen or Focal PointMaintenance Notes:The narrow habit of Purple Pillar rose of Sharon means it creates few to no branches, so little to no pruning is required. If you want to prune it, do so in early spring. In areas that experience snow fall, avoid planting it where it might be dumped on by snow falling off of the roof - yours, or your neighbors.
Fun Facts:The flowers on Purple Pillar rose of Sharon are semi-double, which means that they have two or more layers of petals, but that the stamens and pistil are still visible in the center.
Purple Pillar® Hibiscus syriacus 'Gandini Santiago' USPP 25,568, Can 6,178 -
14 Reviews
584233211Browse reviews from people who have grown this plant.-
Nicole Cutler, British Columbia, Canada, 32 weeks ago
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Great privacy hedge option with statement flowers! The plants arrived in great condition and once I got them in the ground they grew like crazy! One I have is probably close to 9 feet. I think I missed the boat on pruning in early spring because the tallest one has some trouble with wind in big storms but I'll make sure to stay on top of pruning next year in hopes that it strengthens the stems a little bit more and less susceptible to toppling. Would definitely recommend!
Ava, Tennessee, United States, 41 weeks ago -
My Purple Pillar arrived quickly and was packaged very securely. The plant was so nice and healthy no damage at all. I am very impressed. I planted my Purple Pillar the day it arrived. It is doing very well and is flowering with a bunch of buds yet to open. I would not hesitate to order online via Proven Winners in the future. My plant was healthier than some I have seen at my local nurseries. Great job Proven Winners!!
Darlene W, Pennsylvania, United States, 1 year ago -
I am growing 2 of these in zone 7a here in central Maryland. Mine do not bud up until July, and do not bloom until August. Currently, both of mine are about 10-11 feet tall. These are beautiful as long as you do not get any winds or heavy rains. The first bad storm we got here blew a 30mph gust that made them bend sideways. Ever since, I have not been able to get them to stand up straight. They are not broken, just bent. I have reinforced the base with stakes but that doesn't matter when you have limbs that are 11 feet tall and being weighed down by buds, flowers, and water. Currently, they are in a "rainbow" shape where the limbs are so top heavy they are almost touching the ground. I suspect I will either need to rip these out or prune them to stay below 8 feet as we get nor'easters here frequently during summer that will continue to dump rain and winds on them.
Laura, Maryland, United States, 1 year ago -
Picked this up as an anchor to my small landscape in my front lawn, and was not disappointed! Still pruned some of the span away but it’s currently sitting at 13ft after 5 years of growth. We get a full display of flowers from April/May all the way through Sep-October. The amount and variety of bees that come by daily is so amazing to watch! You’ll have some problems with aphid’s but that’s nothing some timely lady bug releases can’t handle! We’ve absolutely enjoyed it, and were so happy it survived the hard freeze we had in Texas last year.
Richard Barrera, Texas, United States, 1 year ago -
Two years ago I planted an 8 plant hedge of Purple Pillar. I planted all in the same manner,, .and did as good a job planting as a gardener with 50+ years experience could do. The plants flourished and had grown to six feet high at the end of last season. I very much enjoyed the blooms and appreciated the very vertical form. Unfortunately, 4 of the 8 shrubs died back completely to the ground during the past winter. They are coming back from the roots now, but it's very disappointing for a shrub that is supposed the be hardy in Zone 5. (I am in Indianapolis, which was reclassified as Zone 6 a few years ago). We did not have a particularly bad winter. So now I have a very varied-height planting and have lost several years of growth. I'm going to continue trying this plant, but I'm not sure I can recommend it at this point.
Tom H, Indiana, United States, 1 year ago -
Planted 2years ago in a small sunny space. It must’ve grown 3 feet in one year. It is now 10 feet tall. It bloomed prolifically in late June early July. Beatles attacked it a great deal but it survived. Then a second flush of buds —tons of them — covered the shrub later in the summer but they would not open. I discovered there was an insect laying its larvae in the buds and they all dropped off. I hope that this does not happen this summer. It was beautiful in bloom tall and slender and remarked upon by all the neighbors.
William K. Nesbitt, Virginia, United States, 3 years ago -
Great anchor for the back of a any garden bed. Color all summer and trouble-free. Perfect for corners and smaller gardens.
Kate, South Carolina, United States, 3 years ago -
What a great plant. I have one on either side of the steps leading to the deck and also by my front steps. It has bloomed all summer long.
Donna, Maryland, United States, 5 years ago -
I started a test trial on this one in May of 2016, so far lots of growth and healthy and happy, I am hoping to see flowers next year.
Jennifer Winship, British Columbia, Canada, 5 years ago
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