Rose of sharon blooms profusely, and its attractive flowers are its main selling point. Like other types of hibiscus, rose of sharon's flowers bear a striking stamen. Another feature giving the shrub value is its relatively late period of blooming (in the Northeastern U.S., it blooms in August). Rose of sharon is thus able to offer color when many flowering shrubs have long since ceased blooming.

A heat-lover, rose of sharon is also prized by growers in the Southeastern U.S. who crave plants that can stand up to summer's heat. The plant is reasonably drought-tolerant.

Don't give up on rose of sharon, thinking it's dead just because it hasn't leafed out by early summer. This plant not only blooms late, but leafs out late, as well, so be patient. When an althea's flower buds are not opening, that's another matter.

Nor are those the only problems associated with growing Hibiscus syriacus. Its seed drops and sprouts where you don't want it to, and the consequent need to remove the young plants manually is hardly conducive to low-maintenance landscaping. For those seeking help in getting rid of althea seedlings, I do, however, offer an alternative to pulling up the seedlings.

Rose of sharon isn't the only type of Hibiscus that flourishes outside of tropical and sub-tropical regions, although when you hear that genus referred to you may very well think immediately of the tender types seen on display in greenhouses. Another hardy hibiscus is Hibiscus moscheutos, known for its giant-sized flowers.