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<i>Hibiscus syriacus</i> belongs to the Malvaceae family, and is a plant with medicinal, edible, and greening values. MADS-box transcription factor is a large family of regulatory factors involved in a variety of biological processes in plants. Here, we performed a genome-wide characterization of MADS-box proteins in <i>H. syriacus</i> and investigated gene structure, phylogenetics, <i>cis</i>-acting elements, three-dimensional structure, gene expression, and protein interaction to identify candidate MADS-box genes that mediate petal developmental regulation in <i>H. syriacus</i>. A total of 163 candidate MADS-box genes were found and classified into type I (Mα, Mβ, and Mγ) and type II (MIKC and M<i>δ</i>). Analysis of <i>cis</i>-acting elements in the promoter region showed that most elements were correlated to plant hormones. The analysis of nine <i>HsMADS</i> expressions of two different <i>H. syriacus</i> cultivars showed that they were differentially expressed between two type flowers. The analysis of protein interaction networks also indicated that MADS proteins played a crucial role in floral organ identification, inflorescence and fruit development, and flowering time. This research is the first to analyze the MADS-box family of <i>H. syriacus</i> and provides an important reference for further study of the biological functions of the MADS-box, especially in flower organ development.