When someone says they grow Tropical Hibiscus they almost always mean Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. When they say Hardy Hibiscus, it's almost always Hibiscus moscheutos. There are many other Hibiscus that are "tropical" or "hardy" but they generally are not referred to by those terms. Did you know that you at least eight species of Hibiscus that grow wild in Alabama? Five of these are native to your state. The native variety are Hibiscus aculeatus, Hibiscus coccineus, Hibiscus grandiflorus, Hibiscus laevis, Hibiscus moscheutos. The non-native species are Hibiscus mutabilis, Hibiscus syriacus, Hibiscus trionum.
