Jess Cole
Swamp Mallow
There are so many native hibiscus to love, this being one of our top summer and fall showstoppers. This hibiscus variety can grow up to eight feet tall, and boasts a robust perennial shrub form. She looks a lot like the ever popular tropical hibiscus, yet is cold hardy and will return each year, in addition to easily colonizing via seed. Naturally, flower colors vary greatly, even within a single colony. Humans have capitalized on this and cultivated interesting nativars of this plant in an array of hues. Swamp Mallow is naturally found on wet roadsides and salt marshes, making the plant a reliable candidate for your rain garden. I love summer country rides through my surrounding parishes, for the tremendous roadside hibiscus displays that flourish there.
