My friend has a Rose of Sharon that has hundreds of buds that look ready to bloom but few do. My understanding is it does this every year. The plant looks healthy including the foliage. It is about 5 feet tall. I'm not sure about overall sun exposure but I would guess no more than a few hours per day based on the mature trees in the neighborhood.

Unfortunately, she didn't know the variety. The flower has a maroon throat and the rest is a very pale pink. It appears the flower is approximately 1.5" in diameter.

Anyone have any thoughts as to why the plant is not blooming?