Hibiscus splendens is found only in Australia. It was first described by Charles Fraser in 1928. He wrote, "This I consider the king of all the Australian plants I have seen. The flowers are of the most delicate pink and crimson and literally cover the plant".

It grows as a large shrub 2-6 feet tall. The stem can have a dense or sparse covering of prickles or no prickles at all. The large silvery-grey foliage is densely covered with soft velvety furry hairs. The leaves vary in shape from simple and narrower at the top to lobed with three or five deeply-cut lobes lower on the plant.

The large flowers are various shades of pink. On the inside, towards the base of the flower, the color fades to white, then upwards into the pink of the petals as thick white veins which can be clearly seen. The eye is edged by a narrow red line.

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