wetland wildflower

Swamp rose mallow

Hibiscus moscheutos

Also known as Crimson-eyed Rose-mallow, Marshmallow Hibiscus, crimsoneyed rosemallow

Native to much of the USA

Florida to Texas, north to New Jersey, West Virginia, Ohio and Indiana

Light Full sun to part shade Sun tolerance
Moisture Moist to wet Moisture preference
Zones 4–9 Cold to heat range
Bloom Jul–Sep Flowering time
Height up to 8 ft to 2.4 m
Life cycle Annual or perennial Annual to perennial

Full details, see below

In the garden

A wetland wildflower for full sun to part shade and consistently moist to wet soil. Its white and pink flowers peak in August. At up to 8 ft, it needs room in rain gardens, pond edges, and damp low spots. Hardy in USDA zones 4–9.

Growing conditions

Light

Full sun Partial shade Full shade

Moisture

Dry Moist Wet

Hardiness zones

Find your zone:

When it blooms

The Swamp rose mallow's white and pink flowers bloom July to September, peaking in August. This late-summer display draws bees and butterflies.

Swamp rose mallow blooms white & pinkFoliage

Pollinators & wildlife

Bees Common Eastern Bumble Bee

also Western Honey Bee, Eastern Carpenter Bee, Brown-belted Bumble Bee +19 more
American Bumble Bee, Ligated Furrow Bee, Tricolored Bumble Bee, Two-spotted Longhorn Bee, Worthy Longhorn, Megachile brevis, Colletes nudus, Triepeolus cressonii, Big-cheeked Angled-Mason, Goatsbeard Miner Bee, Illinois Cuckoo Sweat Bee, Lasioglossum platyparius, Ptilothrix bombiformis, Morning Glory Turret Bee, Peponapis pruinosa, Colourful Willow Miner Bee, Forbes's Sweat Bee, Coelioxys alternata, Tetraloniella albata
Butterflies Monarch

also Pearl Crescent, Zabulon Skipper, Cloudless Sulphur +4 more
Clouded Skipper, Broad-winged Skipper, Dukes' Skipper, Cynthia cardui
Beetles Spotted Cucumber Beetle

also Banded Longhorn Beetle, Double-lined Longhorn Beetle, Mordellistena biplagiata +2 more
Metacmaeops vittata, Euphoria sepulchralis
Also visited by
- Hummingbirds: Ruby-throated Hummingbird
- Flower flies: Volucella bombylans, Volucella vesiculosa
- Moths: Spotted Peppergrass Moth, Pale Beauty

Butterflies that use this plant

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

Full plant details

Where it grows

Habitat: WetlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
Native range: Much of the USAUnited States (23): AL, AR, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, OH, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
Native distribution: Florida to Texas, north to New Jersey, West Virginia, Ohio and IndianaThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.

Growing conditions

Light: Full sun to part shadeHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
Moisture: Moist to wetThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
Hardiness zones: USDA 4–9 · Canadian 5–7The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
Soil: Moist to wet, slightly acidic soilsThe soils it grows in naturally.
Soil texture: Light to heavy (sandy to clay)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
Soil pH: 4.0–7.5The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
Soil quality: MediumHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
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.
Salinity tolerance: LowHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.

Growth & form

Height: up to 8 ft (to 2.4 m)Typical mature height.
Spread: ~7 ft (2 m)How wide one plant gets, a guide to spacing.
Life cycle: Annual or perennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
Growth rate: RapidA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
Shape: ErectIts overall silhouette.
Root depth: 10+ in (25+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.

Flowers, foliage & fruit

Type: WildflowerWhat kind of plant it is.
Bloom: Jul–SepWhen it flowers.
Flower color: White, PinkThe bloom color, or colors.
Fruit/Seeds: ripens Mar–OctThe seed or fruit it sets after flowering.
Toxicity: None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.

Propagation & seed

Cold stratification: Not requiredWhether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
Propagation: Container, seedHow to start new plants.
Seed: ~0.2 million seeds per poundNotes on the seed and how to sow it.
Seed spread rate: SlowHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
Seedling vigor: HighHow strongly young seedlings establish.
Vegetative spread: NoneWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.