Hibiscus Moscheutos Rose Mallow Huge Flowers Pinks to Reds 25+ seeds.

Common Name: swamp mallow  
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Malvaceae
Zone: 5 to 9
Height: 3.00 to 7.00 feet
Spread: 2.00 to 4.00 feet
Bloom Time: July to September
Bloom Description: White to pink
Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium to wet
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Rain Garden
Flower: Showy
Attracts: Butterflies
Tolerate: Wet Soil
Garden locations
Culture
Easily grown in average, medium to wet soils in full sun. Best in moist, 
organically rich soils, but does surprisingly well in average garden soils 
as long as those soils are not allowed to dry out. Regular deep watering is 
advisable. Immune to the heat and humidity of the deep South. Tolerates some 
light shade, but full sun with good air circulation produces the best flowers, 
the strongest stems and the best environment for resisting potential diseases. 
Site in locations protected from wind to minimize the risk of wind burn. Pinch 
back growing tips when they reach 8” and again at 12” if bushy plants are desired. 
Deadhead individual flowers to maintain plant appearance. Cut back stems to 
approximately 3-4 inches in late autumn. New growth shoots are slow to emerge 
in spring. However, once new growth begins, it proceeds quite rapidly. Plants 
will benefit from regular fertilization during the growing season.

Noteworthy Characteristics
Hibiscus moscheutos, commonly known as hardy hibiscus or swamp rose mallow, 
is a vigorous, sturdy, rounded, somewhat shrubby, hairy-stemmed, woody-based 
perennial of the mallow family. It typically grows to 3-7’ tall and to 2-4’ wide. 
It is native to wet spots (marshes, swamps, floodplains, river banks, moist meadows, 
and moist woods) from Ontario and Massachusetts south to Ohio, Indiana, Alabama and 
Florida. Showy, dinner plate-sized, hollyhock-like flowers (each to 4-6” diameter) 
have five overlapping white, creamy white or pink petals with reddish-purple to dark 
crimson bases which form a sharply contrasting central eye. Each flower has a prominent 
and showy central staminal column of white to pale yellow anthers surrounding an even 
longer style. Individual flowers last only 1-2 days, but new flowers open each day in 
rapid succession over a long July to September bloom period. At the peak of bloom, a 
large plant can produce 20 or more flowers per day. Flowers (to 6-9” wide) are among 
the largest flowers produced by any perennial that is winter hardy to the St. Louis area. 
Alternate, broad-ovate to lanceolate leaves (3-8” long) with toothed margins are green 
above and white-hairy beneath. Leaves are lobeless or have 3-5 shallow lobes. Seed 
capsules will float on water which facilitates seed dispersal.