Interestingly, hibiscuses can be grown as either a bush or tree, depending on the type. If you have a woody variety of hibiscus, training them into tree form is very easy to do and will have great results. Softer hibiscuses might thrive better as a smaller shrub though. If you want to experiment with cultivating your hibiscus plant into a tree instead of a shrub, begin with the strongest stem and work them into a multi-branched tree over time.