Swamp Mallow Hibiscus

Hibiscus moscheutos

Hardy Hibiscus produces flowers the size of dinner plates. literally. Each bloom can reach a foot across, opening in the morning and closing by evening, only to be replaced by new ones through summer and early fall. The effect in a full sun, moist border is nothing short of tropical: massive white, pink, or bicolor flowers on bold, fast-growing plants that can reach six feet in a single season. Hummingbirds and native bees crowd the staminal column constantly. It's a larval host plant for the gray hairstreak butterfly and the painted lady, and the seedpods that follow provide food for songbirds through winter. It goes completely to the ground each fall and returns late in spring. mark the location so you don't panic in May thinking it's dead. It will emerge and grow to full size in weeks once the soil warms. Spectacular, reliable, and ecologically essential.