Swamp Rose Mallow Seeds – Huge Tropical-Looking Flowers on Hardy Native Plant (Hibiscus moscheutos) – Wetland & Rain Garden Hero

Minimum: 25+ Seeds

Colossal Blooms. Native Roots. A True Wetland Icon.

Bring the drama of the tropics to your backyard with Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos), a bold and breathtaking native perennial that produces giant, dinner-plate-sized flowers in shades of white, pink, and rose, often with striking red centers. Despite its exotic appearance, this hibiscus is deeply rooted in North American wetlands, where it thrives in moist soils, rain gardens, and sunny pond edges.

This pollinator magnet is not only stunning, but it also supports native ecosystems, offering nectar for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, and seeds for birds in fall. If you’re looking for a hardy, low-maintenance showstopper that comes back bigger every year, this is it.

Why Grow Swamp Rose Mallow?

• Produces massive 6–12 inch blooms for weeks in summer

• Grows up to 7 feet tall, perfect for borders, backdrops, or wet areas

• Tolerates flooding, clay soil, and heavy rain

• Incredible in wetland restorations, native gardens, or urban rain gardens

• Cold-hardy and long-lived, thriving from zones 4–9

• Blossoms look tropical, but this isn’t a greenhouse diva—it’s a wild native!

Pollinator & Wildlife Benefits

• Provides essential nectar to monarchs, bees, and hummingbirds

• Attracts native long-tongued bees, like rose mallow bees (Ptilothrix bombiformis)

• Supports wetland biodiversity and stormwater absorption

• Seeds feed birds in late season, especially finches

• Deer-resistant once established, bonus!

Cultural & Medicinal Uses

• Used traditionally by Native American tribes for fevers, coughs, and wounds

• Related to marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) and shares soothing mucilage properties

• Deeply tied to wetland folklore and sacred Southern landscapes

Growing Tips for Hibiscus moscheutos

• Prefers full sun and wet to consistently moist soils

• Cold stratify seeds for 30 days or sow outdoors in fall for natural stratification

• Ideal for pond edges, swales, rain gardens, ditches, or low spots

• Expect germination in 2–4 weeks in warm conditions

• Dies back in winter, then re-emerges late in spring, be patient!

• Cut back old stems in early spring to make room for new growth

Pro Tip: Plant in groups of 3 or more for a massive flower display and stronger pollinator draw. Combine with blue flag iris, cardinal flower, and sedges for a full-spectrum native wetland look.

Did You Know?
Swamp Rose Mallow is native from the Midwest to the Gulf Coast and thrives in both natural wetlands and urban landscapes. It’s also a larval host for several moth species, including the pink-washed looper.

🌸 Big Flowers. Big Impact. Native Power.
With show-stopping blooms, deep ecological value, and the ability to soak up stormwater and support pollinators, Swamp Rose Mallow is a cornerstone plant for climate-smart, beautiful landscapes.

Grow bold. Grow native. Grow with purpose.