Hibiscus syriacus 'Aphrodite' (Rose of Sharon) is a compact, vase-shaped, deciduous shrub with showy, gently ruffled, pink flowers, up to 4 in. across (10 cm), adorned with a dark red throat and conspicuous, protruding tubes of stamens. Blooming continuously from midsummer to fall, the flowers decorate the bush until late in the season, a valuable attribute in most gardens. The foliage of broadly ovate, palmately veined leaves appears in late spring, pale yellow green at first, becoming medium green. A very useful, structural shrub for the back of the border or as a specimen plant.