What is this tree???

EllieMay

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Does anyone recognize this tree? I bought a couple at a farmers market when they were only a couple inches tall.. A lady there told me that they were hardy hibiscus. Within a few weeks it became obvious that they were not anything I had seen before.. I planted them in my tortoise yards late spring and now I have this...
IMG_4707.jpg
 

RosemaryDW

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Well it’s certainly a hibiscus relative; some kind of mallow.

One of the lavateras, perhaps; also known as tree mallow. Some have leaves with that shape. Eventually you should end up with a flower that looks similar to a hibiscus, perhaps in a different shade of pink.

384317CE-A16F-4907-B943-02A24FAA0BE7.jpeg
 

EllieMay

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Well it’s certainly a hibiscus relative; some kind of mallow.

One of the lavateras, perhaps; also known as tree mallow. Some have leaves with that shape. Eventually you should end up with a flower that looks similar to a hibiscus, perhaps in a different shade of pink.

View attachment 281445

Thanks! I’m going to google that now:)
 

EllieMay

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Good luck. There is quite a bit of variation in leaf shapes and some plants leaves are also fuzzy.

I see! I can’t find anything like it... I have only been learning about identifying plants for the last couple of years... I thought I was getting better but this is crazy! It’s gotten so big very quick.. and if it’s tort food, how do I winter it?? Is it even safe???

So many questions... ughhhh [emoji23]
 

Toddrickfl1

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PlantSnap app says Confederate Rose. It's in the hibiscus family. The app is not always accurate though. Here are a few pics of it hibiscus_confederate_rose_2_1024x1024.jpg 23800543-confederate-rose-flower-hibiscus-mutabilis-.jpg
 

EllieMay

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Donna Albu

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THat makes sense with the one giant leaf at the end of each branch/stem.
Looks just like my mulberry tree, so if you find a raspberry looking berry or two on it, you'll know for sure. If it wasn't dark out, I'd take a picture of mine - I'll do that tomorrow. One clue is that it's growing fast. The mulberry can grow 10 to 15 feet in a year if it has enough water. If it is mulberry, it's good news - the leaves and berries are edible, and my sulcatas love them. It will be deciduous, so if it looses all of it's leaves, expect it to bud when it warms up and recover nicely. It will be a great shade tree. Hibiscus is a shrub, and that is definitely a tree. I guess time will tell. I'll post a couple of pictures tomorrow.
 
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