Hibiscus in Bloom

We split this plant from my in-laws last spring.  It's huge and very reliable with its gigantic flowers in August.

These flowers are bigger than my hand.

I was told it was a hibiscus, but I have no idea what kind.  I went online to try to identify it and some of the images I found of Swamp Mallow looked the same.  A lovely name. 

It seems there's two types of hibiscus we can grow here in Zone 6.  One is a shrub- Althea or Rose of Sharon- and the other is a hardy perennial that dies back to the ground every winter.  That's what we've got. 

The buds look like this

and the flowers last only a day or so before they fall off, but just as many are opening as the others drop.

 

What amazes me is how big it gets- approximately 6 feet by 6 feet- starting from scratch again every year. 

Swamp Mallow can also be called Rose Mallow, which I think I prefer.  More flattering, don't you think?

We've got a second plant near the lower vegetable garden, but it's more shaded and doesn't grow as big.  I think I'll move it to a sunnier spot for next year.

I hope you all had a beautiful weekend!