Rose of Sharon

Hibiscus syriacus · Malvaceae · 무궁화

How to spot it

Identified by the large, tropical-looking five-petaled flower, three-lobed leaves and capsules that remain through winter.

Leaves: Simple leaves 5 to 10 cm long, three-lobed with coarse teeth; they turn pale yellow in fall.
Flowers: Flowers 5 to 10 cm across with five crepe-like petals, in red, white, purple or two-toned, bloom in summer, single or double; each flower lasts a day.
Fruit: The fruit is a brown five-chambered capsule about 2 cm long that stays on the branches all winter.
Bark: Bark is gray; one-year-old twigs gradually lose their hairs and become fibrous and tough, hard to snap.

Native to: Described as native to southern China and Taiwan.
Ecology: A sun-loving tree adaptable to many soils, ideal in well-drained, fertile clay loam; moderately cold-hardy but suffers frost damage in very cold places, and strongly tolerates salt and pollution.