Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is a tropical evergreen shrub widely cultivated for its large, showy flowers. It typically grows 4-12 feet (1-4 m) tall, though it can be pruned to maintain a hedge or shaped as a small ornamental tree.

Growth Form 

• Upright to spreading habit 

• Multiple woody stems 

• Dense foliage when regularly pruned 

• Produces soft green new growth 

Leaves 

• Simple and alternate 

• Oval to lance-shaped 

• 3-6 inches long 

• Glossy deep green 

• Serrated (toothed) margins 

• Prominent veins 

Flowers 

• Large and trumpet-shaped 

• 4-8 inches wide 

• Five petals (single forms) or multiple layered petals (double forms) 

• Prominent central staminal column extending outward 

• Wide color range: red, pink, orange, yellow, white, and bi-colored varieties 

• Flowers typically last one day but are produced continuously in warm conditions. 

Fruit 

• Rarely produced in ornamental hybrids 

• When present, forms a small capsule containing seeds