* Rose of Sharon (RoS) grows in different zone ranges (5-9) than frost tender tropical hibiscus (9-11) so it is winter hardier
* RoS has a tree-like shrub form that can be at least 6' tall and up to 14-15' tall while tropical hibiscus can be as compact as 3' high and taller
* RoS is extremely easy to propagate and can actually get a bit invasive in some environments
* RoS is not fussy about soils in which it can be grown
* RoS blooms mostly in the late summer to early Fall but tropical hibiscus blooms has a much wider range
* RoS is also a hibiscus (hibiscus syriacus). Tropical hibiscus is an evergreen plant where it grows in zones 9-11 but RoS is deciduous and hardy to Z5. RoS has smaller smaller leaves than tropical hibiscus.
* As a dog owner, I am aware that RoS is hazardous to cats and dogs... but I am not sure if tropical hibiscus is hazardous (it is a "cousin" so maybe it is also hazardous but I cannot confirm for sure). Of course, my dogs never were attracted to RoS (or its plant parts) or to hardy or tropical hibiscuses. But the birds are attracted to RoS as they help propagate the RoS plant all over.
There are also hardy hibiscus plants with (mostly) dinner plate sized blooms. They die back to the ground every year so are perennial instead of a shrub. Limited bloom colors on these, mostly pinks, reds, and whites.
PrincessAlexandra said:Is there a difference between rose of Sharon and hibiscus???
Also what do their seeds and seed pods look like (close up)
Rose of Sharon is a Hibiscus. The botanical name for it is Hibiscus syriacus. There are about 200 species of Hibiscus and thousands of cultivars. The most common Hibiscus are H. rosa sinensis often referred to as Tropica Hibiscus, H. syriacus (Rose of Sharon), H. mutabilis (Confederate Rose) and Hibiscus moscheutos and it's cultivars aka Hardy Hibiscus or Dinner Plate Hibiscus.
