I obtained a 7' - 8' rose of sharon last fall, but because it came from a very light deprived place, it only has the one single 2' thick long stem. The only branching is at the very top making it looks weird..... I know you can prune them to bush height, but, being the way it has grown, long and almost branch-less, can it safely be cut more than halfway back? If so, will it branch out like it was intended to do? Thanks for any advice!
Try cutting down to a low stump, to start over from the bottom as a multi-branched bush. Do it soon, these leaf out late but it's already the third week of April.