Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is quite large, containing about 200–220 species that are native to warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. Member species are often noted for their showy flowers and are commonly known as hibiscus, sorrel, and flor de Jamaica, or less widely known as rosemallow. The genus includes both annual and perennial herbaceous plants, as well as woody shrubs and small trees.

Hibiscus syriacus, commonly known as Rose of Sharon, Syrian Ketmia, St Joseph’s Rod, Rose Mallow and Shrub Althea is native to south-central and southeast China, but widely introduced elsewhere, including much of Asia, both in the east and the west. It was given the epithet syriacus because it had been collected from gardens in Syria. It is the national flower of South Korea and is mentioned in the South Korean national anthem. Hibiscus syriacus is a hardy deciduous shrub. It is upright and vase-shaped, reaching 2–4 m in height, bearing large trumpet-shaped flowers with prominent, yellow-tipped white stamens. The flowers are often pink in colour but can also be dark pink (almost purple), light pink or white. Individual flowers are short-lived, lasting only a day. However, numerous buds produced on the shrub’s new growth provide prolific flowering over a long summer blooming period. The soil in which the Hibiscus thrives on is a moist, but well-drained, mixture of sand, clay, chalk, and loam. Hibiscus syriacus is highly tolerant of air pollution, heat, humidity, poor soil and drought. The species has naturalized very well in many suburban areas. In Korea its leaves were brewed into an herbal tea and its flowers eaten.