Tropical and hardy hibiscus are shrubs with branched woody stems that form a permanent structure. However, they can be shaped into trees with one central trunk and crown by regular pruning aside branches. On the other hand, Hibiscus moscheutos, the swamp rose mallow, for example, has soft herbaceous shoots that disappear during the winter, so they belong to herbs. Therefore, hibiscus can be a shrub, tree, or herb, depending on the species!