What is the difference between rose of Sharon and cotton rose? A quick guide to tell them apart

Rose of Sharon, also known as plum blossom hibiscus and the flower that opens in the morning and falls at dusk, is a deciduous shrub of the Hibiscus genus, planted in parks, along roads and other places because its flowers are very beautiful, so what is the difference between rose of Sharon and cotton rose?

Difference one: the shape and color of the leaves are different

The leaves of rose of Sharon are small, the darkest in color, deep green, rather narrow and long, ovate or rhombic-ovate, with pointed tips, and the leaf blade is not lobed or the tip is 3-lobed; the leaves of cotton rose are the largest, light green in color, broadly ovate or round-ovate, and are the only ones with palmate lobing, with each lobe usually bearing 5 to 7 triangular leaf blades.

Difference two: the color of the flowers, the length of the stamens and the flowering period are different

The flowering period of rose of Sharon is basically in summer, at most extending to the junction of summer and autumn, and the flowers it produces are very rich in color, including pure white, pale pink, pale purple and purple-red; the colors of cotton rose are mainly red, pink, white and so on, with a flowering period from September to November, making it an autumn-flowering plant, at the latest extending to November, and when it blooms it can change three colors in a day, so in daily life many people also call it the three-change flower.

Difference three: the adaptability is different

Rose of Sharon is a deciduous shrub or small tree with the strongest adaptability, cultivated in both north and south, and able to overwinter in the open ground in most areas of North China and Northwest China; cotton rose is also a deciduous shrub or small tree, mainly distributed in the Yellow River basin and South China, especially abundant in Sichuan and Hunan.