Going with the flower theme - a mystery!

Some of the blogs I follow are hosting a Flower Treasure Hunt, and being an avid gardener myself, I could not resist posting this photo of flowers that I grow. The blossoms measure anywhere from 3-6" across and the plant itself can grow to be up to 12 feet tall - maybe taller if I would let it! The mystery is that so far no one has been able to definitively identify this plant.

I gleaned a cutting from an abandoned homesite in the middle of the downtown area here in Phoenix. This plant and the foundation of what used to be a very nice little bungalow were all that was left on the vacant lot. The plant was huge! And considering that this is the desert and there had been no care of any kind given to this plant for years, I was amazed to round the corner on one of my daily walks to find it absolutely covered with blossoms such as these! So the next day I went back and took my trusty scissors with me and brought back a couple of cuttings, stuck them in water and waited to see if anything would happen. The cuttings started rooting in the water within 3 days, so I took a chance and once they had plenty of roots I stuck them in the ground. LOOK OUT! This could be the next sci-fi movie - The Plant That Ate Phoenix! You need a lot of room for this plant, but oh, does it bloom, and bloom and bloom..... One horticulturist said it might be some sort of heirloom hibiscus, but he just wasn't willing to commit to that. The others to whom I have taken it did not have any idea at all. I must say that in all my years of gleaning plants, this one has really been the highlight. And what, you may ask, became of the donor plant? Sadly, where once was a lovely little house with, I am quite sure, a wonderful garden, there is now a parking garage for one of the highrise buildings that dominate this area of the city. I am so glad that I was able to take those cuttings - and many friends now have this glorious, abundant plant growing in their gardens too!

As for the Beautiful Flower Treasure Hunt, please start at my friend's blog at http://tapestry316.blogspot.com and follow the path to some wonderful flower photography and a chance to win an ACEO from one of these talented artists! And while you are at it, visit their Etsy shops - you will be blessed!