A striking, perennial wetland plant that can grow in large colonies. It has large, heart-shaped leaves and showy, five-petaled, creamy-white to bright pink flowers. The flowers often have a conspicuous band of red or burgundy at their bases with a tubular column of yellow stamens. Clumps of Hibiscus start to grow late in the season and flower over a long period in late summer.
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Genus: Hibiscus
Species: Hibiscus moscheutos
Habitat
Grassland, Wetland
Distribution
It is found in wetlands and along the riverine systems of the eastern United States from Texas to the Atlantic states, its territory extending northward to southern Ontario.
Seasonality
Summer
Abundance
Common
Activity Time
Diurnal
Diet
Behavior
Ecological Role
It is a larval host for the common Checkered skipper, the Gray hairstreak, the Io moth, and the Pearly wood nymph. It is also visited by hummingbirds.
Conservation Status
Least Concern
Threats & Impacts
In Canada this plant is listed as a species of special concern under the Species at Risk Act.