Flower profile

Common hibiscus

Hibiscus syriacus

Common hibiscus (Hibiscus syriacus) is a shrub or small tree in the Malvaceae family, introduced in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly July–September across the U.S.

Introduced in the lower 48

Common hibiscus is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 7 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in July–September.

23states where USDA records it

7Bloomipedia state lists include it

20,675U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania

Quick look

Hibiscus syriacus is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is native to areas of east Asia, but widely introduced elsewhere, including much of Europe and North America. It was given the epithet syriacus because it had been collected from gardens in Syria. Common names include the rose of Sharon, Syrian ketmia, shrub althea (or simply althea), Korean rose and rose mallow.
From Wikipedia's article Hibiscus syriacus, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Malvaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 23 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In New York, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–September. ^iNaturalist
In Pennsylvania, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–September. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,539 research-grade sightings of it in New York, ranking #96 among the 193 flowers on our New York list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,279 research-grade sightings of it in Pennsylvania, ranking #93 among the 190 flowers on our Pennsylvania list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,451 research-grade sightings of it in Maryland, ranking #92 among the 189 flowers on our Maryland list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,255 records)

Bloom time in the 7 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
New York	Introduced	July–September	2,539
Pennsylvania	Introduced	July–September	2,279
Maryland	Introduced	July–September	1,451
New Jersey	Introduced	July–September	1,344
Georgia	Introduced	June–September	918
Missouri	Introduced	June–September	732
Delaware	Introduced	few records (14)	230

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)

Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}

NatureServe global

GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. ^NatureServe

State rare plant lists

Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 7 of our 7 states.

See each state

New York: Not listed Not on New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in New York. ^{6 NYCRR § 193.3}
Pennsylvania: Not listed Not on Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Pennsylvania. ^{17 Pa. Code Ch. 45}
Maryland: Not listed Not on Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Maryland. ^{COMAR 08.03.08}
New Jersey: Not listed Not on New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in New Jersey. ^{N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1}
Georgia: Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Georgia. ^{Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09}
Missouri: Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Missouri. ^{3 CSR 10-4.111}
Delaware: Not listed Not on Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Delaware. ^{DE rare plants 2024}

Rare elsewhere

No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “Flowers are edible.” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNon-toxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Hibiscus” (Hibiscus syriacus) lists it as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Eating lots of any plant can still upset a pet's stomach. ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records common hibiscus in 23 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.

New York counties with USDA records: Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Westchester.

Pennsylvania counties with USDA records: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Erie, Fayette, Franklin, Huntingdon, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, Washington, York.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 178 counties across 21 states; the most are in Virginia (31), Louisiana (25), Pennsylvania (20).

Other Hibiscus on Bloomipedia (7): Swamp rose mallow, Flower-of-an-hour, Sea hibiscus, Woolly rosemallow, Koki‘o ke‘oke‘o, Brackenridge's rosemallow, Tropical hibiscus.

More from the Malvaceae family (29 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Turk's cap, Velvetleaf, Dwarf mallow, Apricot globemallow, Checkerbloom, Scarlet globemallow, Bristly mallow, Winecup mallow.

More New York flowers

Tropical hibiscus

Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis

🌷 Flowering shrub

🌷 Grown in New York gardens

White snakeroot

Ageratina altissima

Native

🌼 Blooms in NY: August–October

Common milkweed

Asclepias syriaca

Native

🌼 Blooms in NY: June–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile HISY.
iNaturalist, Hibiscus syriacus: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Hibiscus syriacus (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
State rare and invasive plant lists (13):
Show all 13 state lists
- New York: New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3).
- New York: New York prohibited and regulated invasive species (6 NYCRR Part 575).
- Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023).
- Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Noxious Weed List (3 Pa.C.S. § 1519, PA Dept. of Agriculture) (PDA's page spells garlic mustard “Allaria petiolata”; we match it as Alliaria petiolata).
- Maryland: Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08).
- Maryland: Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant List (COMAR 15.06.04.06; MDA, updated July 2026).
- New Jersey: New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1).
- New Jersey: New Jersey prohibited invasive plant species (Invasive Species Management Act; propagation banned from Jan 1, 2027, sale from Jan 1, 2030).
- Georgia: Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed).
- Missouri: Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants.
- Missouri: Missouri noxious weed list (2 CSR 70-45.005).
- Delaware: Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list).
- Delaware: Delaware Invasive Plant List (3 Del. Admin. Code § 806-3.0).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Hibiscus syriacus (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
Photo: Sandy Wolkenberg via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.