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I first saw the flowers of Hibiscus schizopetalus in the old hot house of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. Hanging seductively in front of us the flowers were some of the most breath-takingly beautiful and delicate looking things that I had ever seen. Imagine my surprise on moving to a country property on the outskirts of Perth to find that the big old arching shrub next to the front veranda was the very same species. It receives very little extra water and is growing in a position that receives full Perth sun for about half of the day. When not in flower Hibiscus schizopetalus is an arching shrub to about 3 x 4 metres that does not particularly command attention. During the warmer months, however, buds begin to appear at the ends of the branches, and each day a new selection of the wonderful blooms appear. Visitors to the garden frequently come rushing up, asking what the plant is and if we have it available for sale – it is just irresistible,  and a classic example of something that you would probably walk straight past in a garden centre unaware of the beauty hiding within.