Seashore Mallow
Kosteletzkya virginica
Soft pink hibiscus-like blooms every morning from summer to frost. Thrives in wet, salty coastal sites that defeat most plants.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
The native hibiscus relative for coastal and wet sites. salt tolerant, continuous-blooming pink flowers from summer through frost, and genuine hummingbird attraction.
Seashore Mallow blooms from summer through frost with a continuous parade of soft pink hibiscus-like flowers, open for just one day each, but new ones appearing reliably every morning. The flowers are smaller than the dramatic swamp hibiscus but appear in far greater numbers and over a much longer period, making the overall effect just as impressive through the long season. Hummingbirds and native bees visit constantly. It thrives in wet, salty, or brackish conditions that challenge most garden plants, making it genuinely irreplaceable for coastal rain gardens, tide-influenced wet areas, and the margins of retention ponds. The grey-green, velvety foliage is attractive all season and the plant has an open, somewhat wild character that suits naturalistic garden settings well. A remarkable plant for challenging coastal sites.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown seashore mallow propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Wet
- Mature size
- 3–5 ft · 24–36 in wide
- Bloom time
- July–October
- USDA zones
- 5–9
- Family
- Malvaceae
- Native range
- Coastal eastern North America. brackish and freshwater marshes, coastal wetlands from New York to Florida and Texas
Care notes for seashore mallow.
Plant in full sun to part shade in moist to wet soil. Seashore Mallow tolerates salt spray and brackish water that would damage most natives. an unusual and valuable trait for coastal gardens. Water consistently through the growing season. It dies back to the ground each winter and re-emerges from the roots in late spring. Cut back dead stems in early spring. Divide established clumps every three to four years.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside seashore mallow.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.