Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) and Chinese hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) are cousins. Both are members of the mallow family, a large group of several hundred different plant species. While the flowers of rose of Sharon and Chinese hibiscus look similar, these plants are from different climates; one is temperate and the other tropical, so they thrive in different places.
Hardy Hibiscus
Rose of Sharon is a woody shrub that grows 8-to-12 feet tall and 6-to-10 feet wide. Because it is very easy to grow and tolerates polluted air, a wide range of light conditions and poor soil, it is common in cities, where it thrives in conditions not many other plants can tolerate. Rose of Sharon is also valuable because it flowers in late summer to fall, a time when few other plants are in bloom. Each flower lasts only a day or two, but there are so many flowers that the shrub remains in bloom for a few weeks.
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...Maybe Too Hardy
Hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 to 9, rose of Sharon is a "plant-and-forget-it" shrub. In fact, in areas with good sunlight and soil, this nearly indestructible grower is so enthusiastic that it becomes a problem, sowing seeds and making baby plants with abandon and founding spreading colonies. Do not plant rose of Sharon where its aggressive seedlings can escape into the wild and spread, destroying native plant species, or if you think pulling out its many babies will be a chore.
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Chinese Hibiscus
Chinese hibiscus is hardy in USDA zones 9 to 11. This deciduous shrub is often grown in a pot so it can be brought in as a houseplant at least part of the year in places where temperatures dip below freezing in winter. Planted outdoors, it reaches 10-to-15 feet high and 6-to-10 feet wide. Tropical hibiscus prefers full sun and moist but not wet soil and blooms during the summer.
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Fun Facts
Both of these plants are native to Asia. Rose of Sharon, also known as Mugunghwa, is the national flower of South Korea. Chinese hibiscus, or Raya Bunga, is the national flower of Malaysia. Other members of the mallow family with similar large flowers include the marsh mallow, from whose roots the original marshmallows were made; okra; and cotton.