Flower profile

Swamp rose mallow

Hibiscus moscheutos

Swamp rose mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) is a low shrub in the Malvaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly July–September across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Swamp rose mallow is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 6 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in July–September.

30states where USDA records it

6Bloomipedia state lists include it

20,113U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Virginia

Quick look

Muenchhusia moscheutos, the rose mallow, swamp rose-mallow, crimsoneyed rosemallow, or eastern rosemallow, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae. It is a cold-hardy perennial wetland plant that can grow in large colonies. The hirsute leaves are of variable morphology, but are commonly deltoidal in shape with up to three lobes.
From Wikipedia's article Muenchhusia moscheutos, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Malvaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a annual, perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 30 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Ohio, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Indiana and Delaware. ^NatureServe
In Ohio, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–September. ^iNaturalist
In New Jersey, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–August. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as summer. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 6.6 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 2,806 research-grade sightings of it in Ohio, ranking #60 among the 186 flowers on our Ohio list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,993 research-grade sightings of it in New Jersey, ranking #48 among the 186 flowers on our New Jersey list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,861 research-grade sightings of it in Virginia, ranking #93 among the 189 flowers on our Virginia list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (3,816 records)

Bloom time in the 6 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Ohio	Native	July–September	2,806
New Jersey	Native	July–August	1,993
Virginia	Native	July–September	1,861
Maryland	Native	July–August	1,755
Indiana	Native	July–August	1,373
Delaware	Native	July–August	421

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)

Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}

NatureServe global

G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe

State rare plant lists

Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 5 of our 6 states.

See each state

Ohio: Not listed Not on Ohio endangered and threatened plants (Ohio Adm. Code 1501:18-1-03, eff. Dec. 26, 2024). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Ohio. ^{OAC 1501:18-1-03}
New Jersey: Not listed Not on New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Jersey. ^{N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1}
Virginia: Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). NatureServe: S5, secure in Virginia. ^2VAC5-320-10
Maryland: Not listed Not on Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maryland. ^{COMAR 08.03.08}
Delaware: Not listed Not on Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Delaware. ^{DE rare plants 2024}

Indiana

No list Indiana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the DNR keeps a rare plant list, but it isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Indiana ranks instead. NatureServe: SU, unrankable in Indiana.

Rare elsewhere

No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets. For context only: ASPCA lists a related species, Hibiscus syriacus (“Hibiscus”), as non-toxic to dogs and cats. That doesn't tell us about this species, so keep pets away to be safe. ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records swamp rose mallow in 30 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Ohio counties with USDA records: Ashtabula, Butler, Carroll, Coshocton, Cuyahoga, Erie, Fairfield, Gallia, Geauga, Guernsey, Henry, Highland, Holmes, Jackson, Lake, Lawrence, Licking, Lorain, Lucas, Mahoning, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Ottawa, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Richland, Ross, Sandusky, Scioto, Seneca, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Vinton, Warren, Washington.

New Jersey counties with USDA records: Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Salem, Somerset, Sussex, Union.

Virginia counties with USDA records: Accomack, Albemarle, Amelia, Amherst, Augusta, Bedford, Botetourt, Brunswick, Buckingham, Campbell, Caroline, Charles City, Charlotte, Chesapeake , Chesterfield, Clarke, Culpeper, Cumberland, Essex, Fairfax, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Frederick, Gloucester, Goochland, Greensville, Halifax, Hampton , Hanover, Henrico, Isle of Wight, James City, King George, King William, King and Queen, Lancaster, Madison, Mathews, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, Nelson, New Kent, Newport News , Northampton, Northumberland, Nottoway, Orange, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Prince William, Pulaski, Richmond, Roanoke, Shenandoah, Smyth, Southampton, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Suffolk , Surry, Sussex, Virginia Beach , Warren, Washington, Westmoreland, Wythe, York.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Swamp rose mallow a high shade tolerance, none drought tolerance and high moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 4.0 to 7.5 and winter lows down to -13 °F.

Shade tolerance: High
Drought tolerance: None
Moisture use: High
Soil textures it is adapted to: medium, fine
Soil pH range: 4.0 to 7.5
Minimum temperature tolerated: -13 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 160
Annual precipitation range: 35 to 65 inches
Minimum root depth: 10 inches
Salinity tolerance: Low
Fertility requirement: Medium
Growth rate: Rapid
Lifespan: Moderate
Active growth period: Spring
Fruit or seed: Brown · Summer to Fall
Can be propagated by: container, seed
Commercial availability: Routinely Available

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for HIMO. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Hibiscus incanus, Hibiscus oculiroseus, Hibiscus opulifolius, Hibiscus palustris, Hibiscus pinetorum.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 651 counties across 28 states; the most are in Virginia (69), North Carolina (67), Louisiana (61).

Other Hibiscus on Bloomipedia (7): Common hibiscus, Flower-of-an-hour, Sea hibiscus, Woolly rosemallow, Koki‘o ke‘oke‘o, Brackenridge's rosemallow, Tropical hibiscus.

More from the Malvaceae family (29 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Turk's cap, Velvetleaf, Dwarf mallow, Apricot globemallow, Checkerbloom, Scarlet globemallow, Bristly mallow, Winecup mallow.

More Ohio flowers

Tropical hibiscus

Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis

🌷 Flowering shrub

🌷 Grown in Ohio gardens

Roses (genus Rosa)

Rosa

★ NY state flower🌷 Garden flower

🌼 Blooms in OH: May–July

Amur honeysuckle

Lonicera maackii

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in OH: April–June

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile HIMO.
iNaturalist, Hibiscus moscheutos: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Muenchhusia moscheutos (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
State rare and invasive plant lists (11):
Show all 11 state lists
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Hibiscus moscheutos (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
Photo: Tyler Ekholm via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.