Swamp rose mallow
Hibiscus moscheutos L.
Also called swamp rose mallow, crimson-eyed rose mallow.
Shrub-sized native perennial for wet ground, with dinner-plate white or pink flowers, usually with a crimson eye, through late summer. Dies to the ground each winter and regrows quickly.
Size over time
Typical landscape size 1.2–2.1 m (4–7 ft) tall and 0.9–1.2 m (3–4 ft) wide; fast growth, about 2 years to maturity. Intermediate sizes use the planner’s growth curve (k = 0.45) from the #1 install size.
Bloom
White flowers, Jul–Sep (northern-hemisphere months; timing shifts with region and season).
| Plant | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swamp rose mallow : Jul–Sep |
Design notes
- Emerges very late in spring — mark its position so it is not dug up or planted over.
- Hibiscus sawfly larvae skeletonise leaves in some years; plants recover.
- Wild plants range from white to pink; many large-flowered hybrids are sold under this name.
Regions
Native range: Eastern and central U.S., from Massachusetts and the Great Lakes to Florida and Texas.
Native to these OpenLandscape3D pilot regions:
Native status describes where the species occurs naturally. It is not a promise that it suits a particular garden; site conditions decide that.
In the guides
Swamp rose mallow comes up in this guide:
Related plants
Try Swamp rose mallow in a plan
Opens your own copy of a finished sample garden in the planner with Swamp rose mallow ready to place; the planner checks it against that garden’s zone, light and moisture.
Plan with Swamp rose mallow
Place it in a design, check it against your zone, light and moisture, and see it at year three and year ten.