Contrary to its name, the plant is not really a rose at all; instead, it is a member of the Malvaceae or mallow family. Nor is it native to Syria, as is suggested in its species name Hibiscus syriacus. This plant's origins hail from India and China.

Rose of Sharon bears many blooms, and its attractive flowers are its main selling point. Like other types of hibiscus, its flowers bear a striking stamen. Another feature giving the shrub value is its relatively late period of blooming (in the northeastern United States, it blooms in August). Rose of Sharon is thus able to offer white, red, lavender, or light blue blooms when many flowering shrubs have long since ceased blooming. Late summer flowering shrubs can help gardeners manage the sequence of bloom in their landscapes.