The Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) is a spectacular perennial in the Malvaceae that produces some of the largest flowers of any cold-hardy plant on Earth — dinner-plate-sized blooms up to 25 to 30 cm across in shades of white, pink, rose, and crimson with a dramatic contrasting eye. Native to the wetlands of eastern North America, this giant among wildflowers brings a touch of the tropics to temperate gardens despite being fully hardy in cold climates.
• Produces flowers up to 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12 inches) across — among the largest of any hardy perennial
• Despite its exotic, tropical appearance, it is fully hardy to -25°C
• The species epithet "moscheutos" means "musky-scented," referring to the faint odor of the flowers or leaves
• A close relative of okra, cotton, and cacao — all members of the mallow family (Malvaceae)
• Individual flowers last only 1 to 2 days, but a mature plant produces dozens in succession over several weeks
분류학
• Found from southern Ontario and Massachusetts southward to Florida and westward to Texas and the Great Lakes
• Grows in freshwater marshes, swamps, wet meadows, along riverbanks, and in coastal plain wetlands
• Occurs in both inland and coastal habitats
• Has been cultivated as an ornamental since the 18th century
• First described by Linnaeus in 1753
• The genus Hibiscus contains approximately 200 to 300 species, distributed worldwide in tropical and subtropical regions
• Extensively hybridized in cultivation to produce larger flowers and more colors
Stems:
• Erect, stout, 1 to 3 cm thick, branched above
• Green to reddish-green, smooth or with sparse hairs
Leaves:
• Alternate, ovate to lanceolate, 8 to 20 cm long and 3 to 10 cm wide
• 3-lobed or unlobed, margins toothed
• Dark green above, whitish and velvety-hairy beneath
• Long petioles
Flowers:
• Enormous, 15 to 30 cm across
• 5 petals, white to pink to rose, often with a dark crimson or maroon eye (center)
• Prominent central column of fused stamens and style, 3 to 5 cm long
• Each flower opens for 1 to 2 days
• Blooms July to September
Fruit:
• Ovoid, beaked capsule, 2 to 3 cm long
• Contains numerous small, kidney-shaped, brown seeds
• Found in freshwater marshes, tidal marshes, swamp edges, wet meadows, and along streams
• Prefers full sun and consistently moist to wet, fertile soils
• Flowers are pollinated by large bees, especially bumblebees and the hibiscus bee (Ptilothrix bombiformis)
• Serves as a larval host for several moth species
• Seeds are eaten by waterfowl and songbirds
• Provides important cover for wetland wildlife
• Can tolerate brackish water in coastal marshes
• Sow seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before last frost; soak seeds overnight before planting
• Requires full sun for best flowering — at least 6 hours of direct sun
• Needs consistently moist to wet soil — ideal for rain gardens and pond edges
• Space plants 60 to 90 cm apart
• Hardy to approximately -25°C (USDA Zone 5) — mulch heavily in cold climates
• Dies back to the ground in winter; new shoots emerge late in spring
• Numerous cultivars available with enhanced flower size, color, and cold hardiness
재미있는 사실
The flowers of Swamp Rose Mallow are so large that early American settlers used them as a unit of measurement — "a hand-span across" was the typical description. Modern breeders have pushed flower size to extraordinary extremes, with some hybrids producing blooms exceeding 30 cm in diameter, approaching the size of a dinner plate. The plant's ability to produce such impossibly large, tropical-looking flowers while surviving -25°C winters makes it one of the most remarkable temperate perennials in cultivation.
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