Hibiscus is one of my favorite flowering shrubs for hot and sunny garden spots. This variety is all the more valued because of its unique growth habit—it is strongly upright. Growing 10 to 16' tall and 2 to 3' wide, its height and slim profile makes it a fantastic choice for a three-season screening plant. It can be used as a hedge, vertical accent, or as a backdrop—adding height without sacrificing a lot of the bed's depth. This makes creating a layered garden with a variety of plants much easier to accomplish in a small garden. The narrow habit of Purple Pillar rose of Sharon means it creates very few side branches, so little to no pruning is required. It blooms on new wood, so if you do need or want to prune it, do so in early spring. It is heat and drought-tolerant, so it sailed through the recent temperature extremes we experienced. And if you're sharing your garden with deer, they tend to leave this Rose of Sharon alone.