Althea Plant
A Guide to Growing the Althea Plant
The Althea Plant is commonly seen in many a southern garden in the US. It is sometimes used as a hedge, sometimes grown as a bonsai and at other times you will see it as a stand-alone bush. The Althea Plant produces pretty blooms which come in many shades such as red, white, purple and pink. The Althea is also known as the Rose of Sharon.
The Althea Plant’s availability in many colors, its interesting vase shape and the fact that it fits in well with other plants and colors makes it an easy addition for many landscapes. It helps add a tropical tone to the garden and produces those gorgeous hibiscus flowers all summer long.
The Althea Plant can grow anywhere from four to ten feet depending on the specimen. The plant is known to do well in USDA Zones 5a through 9a. The plant is known to do well in soil with pH levels of 5.6 to 7.5 which refers to acidic, mildly acidic and neutral types of soil.
When planting the Althea Plant in your garden choose a setting with full sun exposure. The plant blooms directly in relation to the amount of sunlight it gets. When transplanting it, dig a hole that is twice the size of the root ball. Make sure there is enough loose soil around the hole to enable the plant roots to spread out and take hold. Start by adding compost to the hole and then add the soil amended with a slow-release fertilizer. Now placed the gently loosened root ball in the hole and make sure the roots are not all tangled together. Top it all off with more potting soil. Then water the fresh planted area thoroughly to let it settle into the ground. Before the planting, you should remove all dead and decaying leaves and damaged areas of the root as these can be a handicap for a plant trying to establish itself in a new setting. Everything you do at this stage such as the use of compost soil and loosening of the roots is designed to boost, to enable the plant to take hold and flourish in its new setting.
It is a good idea to mulch around the Althea Plant as this will help it retain the composted organic material and the dampness. You should, however, make sure that the leaves do not get overly wet during the watering. This plant needs an average amount of water and should not be over-watered.
The Althea produces flowers anywhere from early spring to late fall. The leaves are deciduous. It is known to attract hummingbirds and bees to the garden.
Among the pests you are likely to see near the Althea Plant is the aphid. Aphids are drawn to the Althea juices. Japanese beetles tend to feast on the flowers and leaves of this plant. The minute you spot these pests you should pick them off and destroy them. They can quickly consume and destroy the whole plant and it is best to be very aggressive in dealing with them if you want your Althea Plant to stay healthy and flourish.
It is easy to propagate a new Althea Plant. You can either take cuttings from an existing healthy plant or collect the seeds after they dry on the seed heads. The cuttings take root easily and sometimes you can easily have a plant produce blooms the same year the cutting is planted.
Among the criticisms leveled against this plant is that it can be very invasive. It does self seed and can sometimes be hard to prune depending on the specific variety you choose. So, you may end up having to pull out a lot of small plants as soon as you see them make an appearance.