According to USDA PLANTS database, we don't have a lot of hibiscus species growing wild in Virginia, so perhaps this was a stray cultivated plant... (It showed up behind my pool pump - I let it grow because the flowers are so stunning, but it is a bit of a pain when I'm doing pool maintenance...) I don't have an exact measurement of the flower (none in bloom at the moment) but they are around 6" in diameter. Leaves per attached photo. Calyx with bractlets: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shyzaboy/4003783590/ Flower (closeup): http://www.flickr.com/photos/shyzaboy/4014711566/ (Sorry it was overexposed - I've learned a lot about my cameras since then...) At first I went with H. laevis (halberdleaf rosemallow) but the leaves just seem too different (much more deeply lobed). H. aculeatus (comfortroot) seems a closer match on the leaves, but still not right. And the flowers don't seem to match. Same with H. coccineus (scarlet rosemallow)... Location: Troutville, Virginia, USA (near Roanoke, VA - in the Blue Ridge Mountains).
Attached is a picture of the flower. A bit worse for the wear - I should've taken the picture yesterday but forgot...
