However, a little secret needs to be shared about the Rose of the Sharon tree. It may be hard to believe, but the Rose of the Sharon Tree is not a rose. In fact, this beautiful tree is really a hardy hibiscus. The pretty hibiscus bushes are well accepted by the gardener as they serve to enhance the look of the garden and provide the gardener the opportunity to grow them or other varieties of plants as a part of the standard gardening activity.

1. The Rose of the Sharon tree can reach lengths of about 8-10 ft when they are fully developed. The blossoms occur in a kaleidoscopic range of colors such as pink, white, blue, lavender and violet. Some varieties of the Rose of Sharon give rise to double-blooms. These twin bloom varieties usually have a darker shade in the middle and lighter hued blooms on the outside. You will simply love these plants, as they are not hard to grow, they can withstand drought and are resistant to pests, and will blossom for a number of weeks, from the end of summer to the start of the fall season.

2. One more wonderful aspect of this particular plant variety that is so widely used in gardening is that the Rose of Sharon does not very much resemble tropical plants, as do the other types of the hibiscus. Therefore, if you reside in a region where the presence of tropical plants in your garden would look incongruous, you can always fall back on the Rose of Sharon.

This plant tends to flourish in the hardiness zones five to nine of the USDA. Hence, the Rose of Sharon can be easily grown in most regions of this country where other varieties of the hibiscus are considered as annuals. It is all the rage in the south east of the US, where almost every garden has this plant to lend color to the garden at the end of the year.

3. The Rose of Sharon trees are marvelous plants for bringing in insects and hummingbirds to the garden. They will not bear foliage until the middle of July but if you think the plants have decayed, you cannot be more wrong. They will grow new leaves and start flowering by the middle of August, right when all the remaining flowers turn a pale shade and start to wilt due to the sweltering heat. The Rose of Sharon require very less maintenance but will bring forth more blossoms, if the soil is enriched with nutrients just before it is time to bloom every year.

4. The Rose of Sharon has multiple stems, but it is possible to guide it into taking the shape of a tree, and this imparts a beautiful appearance to the garden. The plant grows quite fast and you can thus, employ it to bestow on a newly set up garden some rapidly growing plants in rainbow hues. Hence, go forth and plant the Rose of Sharon (which is a not truly a rose) and it will provide the garden with vibrant flowers in varied hues.