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Hibiscus moscheutos ‘palustris’

This plant is not currently for sale.  This is an archive page preserved for informational use.  

There is disagreement and confusion about whether Hibiscus moscheutos and Hibiscus palustris constitute separate species, subspecies, or varieties, and we are not in a position to clarify! We are proceeding with propagating and selling the form with the clear (no maroon throat) pink flowers, and ovate, pointed leaves occasionally 3-lobed (as compared to ssp moscheutos, which has mostly white flowers with reddish-purple centers and lower leaves that are often three-lobed). This Rosemallow palustris is a very showy, vigorous herbaceous perennial  6-7′ tall occurring on edges of swamp forests in the piedmont, coastal plane and mountains of NC. Flowers range from pure white to to pure deep pink with a prominent staminate column and interesting fruits. Flowers are axillary, borne along the stems.  Rosemallow palustris grows very well in sunny, moist- to-wet locations but also in upland garden sites. It attracts bees and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. The USDA distribution map linked below is for H. moscheutos.

Key Info

Scientific Name: Hibiscus moscheutos L. ssp. palustris (L.) R.T. Clausen
Common Names: Rosemallow, Rosemallow palustris, Sea Hollyhock
Family Names:
Plant Type:
Light Requirement: ,
Moisture Requirement: ,
Bloom Times: , ,
Flower Color: Pink/rose
Special Characteristics: , , , , ,

Additional Info

Habit: Many smooth, round, sturdy, upright, unbranched stems emerge from a central woody crown (no basal rosette); this plant has a short underground caudex with large storage roots attached. Foliage texture is coarse.
Height: 5' - 7'
Spread: 5'
Soil Conditions: Average to wet, acid to circumneutral pH, sandy, loamy and clay soils.
Leaves: Alternately arranged, greyish green, 3-8-inch long x 4 inches wide, leaves with long, slender petioles, reddish veins, white undersides and toothed margins; ovate with pointy tip, either unlobed or with two pointed lobes. Leaf pubescence is variable across plants, but lower surface is more likely pubescent.
Flowers (or reproductive structures: The perfect flowers have five delicate petals 3-4 inches long and wide, in shades of pink, widest at the flattish and slightly wavy tips. The prominent stamen column consists of a number of filaments fused into a single tube with multiple anthers along its length, surrounding a pistil of five fused styles which branch out to present the five stigmas. The flower is subtended by a beautiful row of 5 sepals and a row of linear bracts.
Fruit: The sepals of the flowers develop into a rounded, green 5-chambered seed pod which ripens into a brown, papery, short- beaked capsule which opens to release many small brown seeds, August to October.
Natural Distribution: Found near ponds and lakes, along rivers and streams, wet pastures and roadside ditches; also,.marshes and wetlands and salt scrub habitats.
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 to 9
USDA Wetland Indicator Status in NC: OBL
Pollination: Bees of various types.
Wildlife Connections: Attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, and bumble bees, specifically Rose Mallow Bee; Northern bobwhites, blue-winged teals, pintails, and wood ducks consume crimsoneyed rosemallow seeds; red-winged blackbirds nest in common rosemallow (FEIS database)
Propagation: Rosemallow palustris is easily grown from seed. Also, tip cuttings taken in early July root readily with adequate mist. (Wildflower.org).