A Beginner's Guide to Rose Mallow

Highlights

Do you live in the Midwest, upper Northeast, South and have a full sun + water-logged garden? Meet your new favorite plant: Rose-Mallow. This native flower also sometimes goes by offputting names like Swamp Rose Mallow and Swamp Hibiscus. The flowers are huge—dinner plate-sized—and richly detailed; you’ll want to use the portrait setting on your phone. (In fact, it’s also sometimes called ‘Dinner-plate Hibiscus.’) Scroll on for planting and image inspiration.

Rose Mallow

Latin name:

Hibiscus moscheutos

Dig Deeper

Explore the history, types, and where to plant native Rose Mallow

Rose Mallow is a stunning native flower that looks like it’s from the tropics—even though it can be found in places as north as New York state and Ontario. It is known for its love of wet areas, its stunning flowers, and its height—up to 8 feet tall. In this article, we’ll share how to find, care for, and grow Rose Mallow.

Let’s start with the basic question:

What are the benefits of planting Rose Mallow?

Planting Rose Mallow offers many benefits, especially since it’s a native plant. Native plants have grown in their home area for thousands of years. They know the soil, weather, and seasons of their region better than any other plants on earth.

The benefits of planting Rose Mallow include:

Minimal work. Native plants thrive with just rain after their first year. No fancy fertilizers or care is needed.
Water-friendly gardening. Rose Mallow loves to be planted in wet areas. If you have a pond, stream, or rain garden, this is a great plant for you.
Gorgeous, jaw-dropping landscaping. You need to see a Rose Mallow exactly once to see how stunning their flowers are.

And finally, one other benefit to mention…

Rose Mallow is a host plant for several butterflies

Some native plants offer beauty alongside support for butterfly populations; these plants are called host plants. Many butterfly moms will only lay their eggs on their host plant(s), and their caterpillars will only eat their host plants.

Rose Mallow is the host plant for several butterflies and moths, including Common Checkered Skippers, Pearly Wood Nymphs, and the iconic Io Moth. Every Rose Mallow you plant has the potential to help these beautiful creatures.

You may be looking at the images of Rose Mallow and wondering—is this hibiscus? Let’s answer this with some helpful images.

Are hibiscus and Rose Mallow the same?

No, hibiscus and Rose Mallow are not the same plant. The plant commonly called “hibiscus” has the Latin name Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, and also goes by the common name Chinese Hibiscus (as you can guess, it’s native to Asia.) Here are their differences in a nutshell:

Hibiscus vs. Rose Mallow

Although their Latin names start with Hibiscus, these are different species.

Hibiscus

Latin name = Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Native to Asia
Dies after a frost; needs to be replanted next year
Long stamen emerges from center

Rose Mallow

Latin name = Hibiscus moscheutos
Native to North America
Perennial and frost-resilient: plant once, comes back year after year
Stamen is shorter than non-native cousin

How can I make sure I’m buying native Rose Mallow?

Latin names were invented for exactly this reason: every plant has only one Latin name. To make sure you’re getting the right native plant, look at the tag. If you see Hibiscus moscheutos—you’ve got the native option.

Don’t see the Latin name on the plant tag? Ask a staff member if they can help you. To make finding a specific native plant easier, visit a native plant nursery in your area.

Now that we’ve covered the benefits of planting Rose Mallow and the hibiscus-versus-rose-mallow question, let’s dig in (pun intended) into how to plant and other sourcing ideas for these native gems.

Where is Rose Mallow native?

Rose Mallow is native to a wide swath of North America, from Massachusetts down to Florida and west to New Mexico.

Does Rose Mallow come back every year?

Yes! Rose Mallow is a perennial, meaning plant once, and it will return year after year. Rose Mallow will die back in the winter (the leaves will fall off, and the stem will die) but then re-emerge triumphantly to make new stems, leaves, and flowers from its roots in the spring.

What are good pairings for Rose Mallow?

Rose Mallow is perfectly paired with other southern native plants that like wet areas. Some ideas for pairings include:

And that sums up our love letter to the incredible native flower Rose Mallow. These stunning flowers are epic in their height and their beauty. While each flower only lasts a few days, each plant puts out several, making the bloom time last a month or more. Finally, these are excellent choices for butterfly gardens since they are the host plant for several beloved ones—including the Common Checkered Skipper and Io Moth. If you’re looking to add these to a rain garden, be sure to visit our Best Native Plants for Rain Gardens for more inspiration. Happy planting!

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