wetland wildflower

Saltmarsh mallow

Kosteletzkya pentacarpos

Also known as Virginia Saltmarsh Mallow, Virginia Fen-rose, Seashore Mallow

Native to the Southeast

Coastal areas from Maryland to Florida to Texas to Cuba

In the garden

A wetland wildflower for full sun and evenly moist soil. Hardy in USDA zones 6–10.

Light

Full sun Partial shade Full shade

Moisture

Dry Moist Wet

Find your zone:

Bees Common Eastern Bumble Bee

also Western Honey Bee, Eastern Carpenter Bee, Brown-belted Bumble Bee +13 more
American Bumble Bee, Two-spotted Longhorn Bee, Southern Carpenter Bee, Dilemma Orchid Bee, Nelumbo Masked Bee, Little Blue Carpenter Bee, Chalk Yellow-face Bee, Halictus sp., Cucumber Small Carpenter, Halictus smaragdulus, Ptilothrix bombiformis, Morning Glory Turret Bee, Xylocopa virginica virginica
Butterflies Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

also Silver-spotted Skipper, Gray Hairstreak, Zabulon Skipper +5 more
Clouded Skipper, Long-tailed Skipper, Three-spotted Skipper, Dukes' Skipper, Atrytone delaware
Moths Curve-lined Bird-dropping Moth also Hawaiian Beet Webworm Moth
Also visited by
- Beetles: Spotted Cucumber Beetle, Goldenrod Soldier Beetle
- Wasps: Slosson's Mason Wasp

Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.

Habitat: WetlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
Native range: The SoutheastUnited States (11): AL, DE, FL, GA, LA, MD, MS, NC, SC, TX, VA. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
Native distribution: Coastal areas from Maryland to Florida to Texas to CubaThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.

Light: Full sunHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
Moisture: MoistThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
Hardiness zones: USDA 6–10The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
Soil: Prefers sand, but will tolerate clay. Moderately salt tolerant, though does best with high acidityThe soils it grows in naturally.
Soil texture: Light to medium (sandy to loamy)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
Soil pH: Mildly acid to mildly alkalineThe acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
Water use: HighHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
Drought tolerance: LowRelative to plants of the same type and region, inferred from where it grows, not a days-without-water figure.

Life cycle: PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).