Swamp Rosemallow

Hibiscus moscheutos

Strong

Native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height: 2–6 feet
Spread: 2–5 feet
Light: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Usually moist

Space about 3.5 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 8 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

Hibiscus moscheutos — bloom photograph — Andrew Cannizzaro · CC BY 2.0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Perennial
Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: Summer and fall
Fruiting season: Fall to winter

Recorded in 77 Virginia counties.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 190 animals.

Blue-winged Warbler
Vermivora pinus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Broad-winged Hawk
Buteo platypterus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Brown Thrasher
Toxostoma rufum
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Brown-headed Cowbird
Molothrus ater
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Canvasback
Aythya valisineria
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Carolina Wren
Thryothorus ludovicianus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Cerulean Warbler
Dendroica cerulea
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Cliff Swallow
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Phoebe
Sayornis phoebe
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Screech-owl
Megascops asio
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Towhee
Pipilo erythrophthalmus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eurasian Collared-dove
Streptopelia decaocto
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Golden-winged Warbler
Vermivora chrysoptera
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Great Crested Flycatcher
Myiarchus crinitus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Gull-billed Tern
Gelochelidon nilotica
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Hermit Thrush
Catharus guttatus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Hooded Warbler
Wilsonia citrina
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Indigo Bunting
Passerina cyanea
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Kentucky Warbler
Oporornis formosus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Least Flycatcher
Empidonax minimus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Lincoln's Sparrow
Melospiza lincolnii
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Louisiana Waterthrush
Seiurus motacilla
Birds. 1 shared habitat

All wildlife of Virginia

Care

Keep the soil from drying out.

Care sources

NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Hibiscus moscheutos

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

33CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Hibiscus

Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
Amyna strictaEight-Spot Moth
Anarta trifoliiThe Nutmeg, Clover Cutworm
Anomis erosaYellow Scallop Moth, Mallow Caterpillar
Anomis flavaTropical Anomis Moth
Anticarsia gemmatalisVelvetbean Caterpillar Moth
Automeris ioIo Moth
Burnsius communisCommon Checkered-Skipper
Chloridea virescensTobacco Budworm Moth
Elasmopalpus lignosellaLesser Cornstalk Borer

Show all 33

Euclea delphiniiSpiny Oak-Slug Moth
Eudryas unioPearly Wood-Nymph
Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
Idia lubricalisGlossy Black Idia
Megalopyge opercularisSouthern Flannel Moth, Puss Caterpillar
Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
Platynota rostranaOmnivorous Platynota
Spodoptera dolichosSweetpotato Armyworm, Dolichos Armyworm, Large Cotton Armyworm
Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
Strymon melinusGray Hairstreak
Tarache apricaExposed Bird-Dropping Moth
Tarache delectaDelightful Bird-Dropping Moth
Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
Urodus parvulaBumelia Webworm
Chionodes hibiscella
Epiblema numerosana
Telamoptilia hibiscivora

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

26BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Hibiscus

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

1Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Hibiscus

Ptilothrix bombiformis

Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Hibiscus

Coccothraustes vespertinusEvening Grosbeak

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Malvaceae
Hardiness: Zones 4a–9b
Soil pH: Acidic to neutral
Flower color: Pink, red or white
Growth rate: Rapid
Growth habit: Several stems
Foliage color: Gray-green
Fruit begins: Fall
Fruit ends: Winter

What its natural habitat tells you

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “Summer and fall” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Flower color · “Pink, red or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Foliage color · “Gray-green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “Fall” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Species profile fruit display season; not a local ripening date
Fruit ends · “Winter” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Species profile fruit display season; not a local ripening date
Growth habit · “Several stems” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 4a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differs)
Height · “2–6 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, USDA PLANTS, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Soil · “Moist; Occasionally wet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Soil pH · “Acidic to neutral” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
Spread · “2–5 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differs)

Also known as

Crimsoneye Rose Mallow; Eastern Rose Mallow; Muenchhusia moscheutos subsp. moscheutos

Conservation status

Virginia rank	S5
Global rank	G5
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

Spreads slowly. Spreads slowly by seed. Tennessee Smart Yards

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Swamp Rosemallow

At a glance

Also found with this plant

Care

Who uses this plant?

Plant details

Conservation status

Will it fit your yard?

Growing cautions

Sources

More Hibiscus