Cultural link below. The link says hardy down to Zone 7 and my AHS reference states to Zone 6. The USDA website data base shows it is native to VA down to FL. I had one at the back of my pond planted last fall and it did not make it, but as a child my father grew two not 65 miles from where I am and they came back every year. Could be my plant was not labeled correctly or planted too late. It was a fall bargain plant that was in good shape but planted in mid to late October last year. Could be my Dad was a better gardener! LOL Here is a link that might be useful: Scarlet Hibiscus

Ugh gross. Tinkertoy, are any of the leaves darkened and mushy to the touch? If so, cut them off to the healthy tissue or even to the bottom with a sterilized knife, scissors or a shaving blade. My understanding is that the leaves that are bendy will not right themselves. The plant looks pretty sad - I would carefully unpot and see if there is any root rot. I would say repotting is in order. As much as it is a shock to the plant, it's a much smaller shock than this plant seems to be experiencing right now. Sanses are tough, and you may very well be able to save this one. The soil does look very fine and peaty. Give it a "cactus and succulents" potting mix if you are going to repot. It'll feel better. After repotting, you might want to stake the taller leaves to help them stay upright, especially if the roots are not extensive - Sanses often have small root systems. Let us know how it all turns out.

GW has a plant identification forum. Name That Plant!. I am not familiar with it so cannot attest to its usefulness.

Okay, so I'm not a "country girl". But I think you are being very unfair to the OP. When one builds in the country, one accepts many things but I don't think snakes slithering around ones house need to one of them. If one has dogs and cats, snakes can be a real danger to them. Learning what to keep away from being directly up against the house (a pile of firewood) an other things only makes sense. May who live in the country, fence off a smaller area for their dogs - they don't want them out of sight in the woods for innumerable reasons. There is nothing wrong with this. And there is nothing wrong with trying to snake-proof that area as much as is reasonable. I remember the Six Flags opened outside of St Louis - it was in what was then (nearly 50 years ago!) a very rural area. Copperheads were a major problem and people who visit theme parks don't expect to encounter them. The local newspaper had articles on all that they did (deep fencing, snake repellent) to keep snakes out of the park. It did not always work, and a child was bitten by a copperhead. He survived but I"m betting there was a huge lawsuit. Some people just don't like snakes and I'm sure one. Since I was a child, I will NOT sit down on a toilet without first looking in the bowl. Somehow as a very small child, someone must have told me a story about a snake coiled in the toilet biting someone. It's just an image I cannot end. I had a snake in my garden pond a few years ago, and it undid me. I'm not terribly fond of spiders but don't scream. If a mouse startles me, I am "startled" but again, no screams. If I saw a snake in or directly outside my house, for me it would be like that common nightmare where one wants to scream and is too terrified to get out a sound. I'm human - I have my frailties just like everyone else. Mine happens to be snakes.