KTRS 550 Inside Out Show Plant of the Week Saturday July 17 Hibiscus lasiocarpos/ Rose mallow

Hibiscus lasiocarpos/ Rose mallow

by MaryAnn Fink
Conservation Specialist
copyright 2010

Looking for a versatile showy and smart perennial to add to your landscape? Let me have the pleasure of introducing you to Rose mallow, Missouri’s very own hardy hibiscus.

Although this native perennial typically chooses informal bank / stream side locations to put down her roots she is very adaptable and appropriate for featured placement in any landscape where summer color is appreciated.

Her tolerance of fluctuating moisture conditions and long life span is a pretty plus! She is a charmer in rain gardens, an anchor in doorstep gardens and a real winner around water features.

If left unpruned She can stretch up to 4-6' tall but with just one quick clip she can be kept a compact and full 3’ x 3’.

Although she tolerates average soil and full sun, her best feature is her long bloom blooming period from mid- to late summer, lasting 4-8 weeks! This is when she showcases her huge hollyhock-like flowers that are 4-6" diameter. She is also fairly deer resistant!

She is known for her beautiful magenta-crimson eyes. She has the largest flower of all the native Missouri wildflowers!

Care Factor Rating: 2 Pinch/ clip her growing tips back 2-3” when she reaches 15" tall (she reaches this height by very late spring). This will encourage her to increase her branching, have more shoots and strengthen her stems at the base. This is particularly helpful for encouraging a strong form to hold her oversize flowers and a full compact habit without staking!

I really enjoy this garden worthy Missouri native who likes her feet wet. It is important to note she is late to break dormancy each spring-so be patient. Her intact stems change in the cold to a soft kitten gray that make a nice feature in the snow. They also act as a marker for where to watch for her new growth! (To strip her leaves off, slide a gloved hand, from top down each stalk and knock off gently any lingering leaves. This will leave soft clean lines for winter without damaging her rather soft branches. Don’t do this till late in the fall after her leaves have yellowed but forgot to drop (usually this is after a few frosts have signaled “last chance” for outdoor chores and “good night” to sleepy but still awake perennials.)

Click the link below for other plant recommendations provided by wholesale grower Ritter Perennials. Watch for this name at your local retail nurseries and greenhouses!

http://www.ritterperennials.com/Native_Rain_Gardens.html