I have a small potted tree, now approx 5 feet high. i keep it in all winter and put it outside mid spring. last year when I put it out I discovered it was a very unique tree. it didnt have many leaves at first but over a month or two it started to sprout leaves all over. these leaves grew very slowly however. it seemed like slow motion for a tree. then it became even more interesting. large red flowers. they form all over but then when they open, you have one day to appreciate and then they fall off while more start appearing. all summer and fall without stopping. more and more. ive never seen anything like it. what the heck is it? i want more. please tell me.
Looks like it could turn out to be a native Hawaiian species or hybrid using one, has leaves shaped like one of those and the [in this case partial] rolling of the flowers is like that shown by bird-pollinated hibiscus relations from that state. Could this have come from a collector or other source that would have something this?
Looks like Hibiscus rosa-sinensis to me. These are very popular houseplants, especially for for use on patios and decks in the summer, they also only flower on new growth so make sure to prune it and give it lots of fertilizer.
Rayscar- You sound as excited as I was with my Hibiscus. I bought mine for 2.00 to fill in a spot in the garden and was amazed at the flowers. I live in a 5b zone and leave it in the ground all winter. In the fall when it has started to die back, I cover it well with mulch then weight it down for the winter. It has come back every spring for the last three years. A garden several blocks away has two that grow over 5' tall each year. I don't think she brings hers in over the winter either.
Fleur52 you probably have a variety of hibiscus syraicus or hibiscus moscheutos, they are hardy to zone 6-5. The hibiscus rosa sinensis is tropical and will die in the winter.
