Hi.
A Standard Hibiscus is a tropical Hibiscus,is not hardy in your zone.I keep mine inside the house at very sunny window,only put it outside in a pot for Summertime .Rosasinensis(Chinese Rose)is very common one.It is a small tree(4'-7')
Hardy Hibiscus (Rose Mallow) grows in a ground for years and is hardy to zone 3.
Hope,it helps a little.
Hala

Thank you. I thought that might be the case. Wasn't for-sure.

I also don't understand this difference. I have lived in SoCal forever it seems and have several hibiscus plants. I thought there was only one kind.

Now I am moving to the Phoenix area and wonder if my hibiscus will survive there?

How do you tell the difference and does one do better there than the other?

Thanks

Standard hibiscus, more commonly called Tropical hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) are only hardy in the warmer parts of zone 9 and warmer. These are the hibiscus with shiny leaves and lots of different colors, forms, etc., of blooms.
Hardy hibiscus include Hibiscus coccineus, moscheutus, mutablilis and many others.
Depending on where in Phoenix you move to, the tropicals may be hardy.
Barb

Thank you Barb. I suppose I have the tropical ones then... the leaves are shiny and jagged around the edge.

I am actually going to be in Sun City, slightly west of Phoenix, near Peoria.

Judy

If the nights get cold then you will need to move the tropicals inside each night. I do not think a hardy Hybiscus would do well in an area which dips below freezing at night in the winter, but then every day the temps rise above freezing.

Hardy Hybiscus work well in the cold, because they are able to go dormant in the winter. But sudden freezing, thawing, and refreezing is very hard on them. They cannot take much of that before they begin to suffer and decline.

Hmmm...moving tropicals inside every night? Oh boy, that sounds like a chore...maybe I'll leave my tropical here and buy a hardy one there.

Thanks.