Rose Mallow
Hibiscus moscheutos
Hibiscus is one of those plants that is at once incredibly exotic and achingly familiar. The fuzzy golden anthers surrounded by humongous flower petals are straight from our overwater bungalow South Pacific dreams. Yet as a native plant, it is most often seen jostling with cattails and tadpoles in road side ditches and sluggish waterways. In either iteration, rose mallow is an absolutely gorgeous plant that is essential for its summer flower power. Although often found in wet places, hardy hibiscus also grows well in ordinary garden soil.
Conditions: Full sun; wet to average soil
Size: 3′ – 6′ tall
Zone: 5 – 8
Wildlife Value: Visited by numerous bees, including the Rose Mallow Bee, a specialist pollinator; larval host for Common Checkered Skipper, Io moth, and Painted Lady.
