Hazy White Hibiscus on Stouts Road, Fultondale

White Hibiscus along the Roadside on Stouts Road, Fultondale, Alabama

Roadside Hibiscus, Fultondale, Alabama

Roadside Fuchsia Hibiscus, Fultondale, Alabama

Throughout the Southeast, back in late summer (which seems so very long ago now that late fall's cold temperatures and dreary landscapes have set in), the area was awash with all varieties of crayola-like flora, including any number of hibiscus.

In September, this fuchsia-flavored hibiscus was growing along historic Stouts Road in Fultondale, Alabama.

Blooming White Rose of Sharon Hibiscus, Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Blooming White Rose of Sharon Hibiscus at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Birmingham, Alabama

Pink Giant Hibiscus, Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Pink Giant Hibiscus flower at Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Pink Giant Hibiscus flower at Birmingham Botanical Gardens in Birmingham, Alabama.

The exotic-looking hibiscus has long been one of my favorite flowers. The giant hibiscus is a hardy plant that grows on a large bush. It blossoms from summer through the first frost, and the blooms can grow to as large as one foot in diameter. The deep red eye spreads outward in a starburst to a pink or white petals.