Can you post some pix of the buds and twigs? Also let us know where you live/zone.

FataMorgana

Coastal BC, zone 8a/b. This is a client's home, everything but the tree will be going. These pics were taken about two weeks ago and I haven't been back yet. Would love to know before I finish the design, so I'll know how to prune it.

Hibiscus syriacus aka Rose of Sharon, I believe.

Yep. Not a tree. Big ones like this are common here. Since it is overwhelming the planting site I might cut it down low, to come back shorter - these flower on new growth and can be cut low every winter.

The biggest shrub in the bed should be in the widest part, not over in a corner.

I'm checking with the owner to see what the flowers are like. I've never noticed a seed head on my H syriacus… But for sure, the bark and branches are similar.

Some Roses of Sharon are sterile, hence no seed heads.

an some are nearly invasive ...

ken

Owner says it definitely doesn't have RoS-like flowers. I'm going over Sunday, I'll see what spring growth looks like. she describes them as handkerchief-like.

As indicated Rose of Sharon (in this instance) is a Hibiscus and has the flowers to go with that placement - and not those like a rose (Rosa). It comes in both single and double forms (as do roses). Since this one fruits it is probably a single.

I would have shown them photos of H. syriacus and asked them if anything clicked. Not that I have any doubt this is what it is.

Embothrium, I sent her pics of Hibiscus syriacus.

Was your client looking at the colour or the form of the flower? If they were relying on colour they could well not recognise it. These things come in a wide variety of colours and forms. (Single, double, red, white, pink, purple, bi-coloured.)

Thanks everyone. I showed her several different varieties. Admittedly I didn't show any doubles. But she described the flower as "handkerchief-like", so probably not double.

The singles look like tropical hibiscus and other single hibiscus whereas most of the doubles look like wadded facial tissues. So "handkerchief-like" could be an allusion to that same general appearance.

If you go look at other Rose of Sharon at a labelled collection or garden center you can see they have the same twigs and buds as this.

Been following the comments. I was interested to see what would be suggested. The description of "handkerchief-like" made me immediately think of the dove tree (Davidia involucrata) but that wouldn't be a common one and I don't believe the bark is a match. We are lucky to have some of the oldest dove trees in the US in a local arboretum. People who know about the trees go out of their way to see them in bloom for they are an unusual sight. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/flower/gard-04.html

Probably a rose of sharon as suggested but had to mention.....

FataMorgana