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Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Hibiscus coulteri (Desert rosemallow)
Anderson, Wynn

Hibiscus coulteri

Hibiscus coulteri Harv. ex A. Gray

Desert Rosemallow, Desert Rose-mallow, Coulter Hibiscus

Malvaceae (Mallow Family)

Synonym(s): Hibiscus coulteri var. brevipedunculatus

USDA Symbol: hico

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Desert Rose-mallow or Coulter Hibiscus is a handsome ornamental, grown for its showy flowers. Straggling to a width of 2 ft., the slender, woody, flowering stems rise to a height of 6 ft. Large, yellow, cup-shaped flowers, sometimes tinged with red or purple at the base, are borne atop the stems. A shrubby plant with rough hairs, undivided lower leaves, divided upper leaves, and large, cup-shaped, whitish to yellow flowers, often tinged with red.

A humble relative of the brilliant tropical Hibiscus plants, members of a genus that contains almost 300 species.

 

From the Image Gallery

36 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Breeding System: Flowers Bisexual
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 6 feet tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow , Purple
Bloom Time: Jan , Feb , Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct , Nov , Dec

Distribution

USA: AZ , NM , TX
Native Distribution: W. TX to s. AZ & adjacent Mex.
Native Habitat: Rocky slopes; steep, canyon walls

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Dry, rocky soils.
Conditions Comments: Drought tolerant. This plant should be cut back nearly to the base each winter to encourage a bushier habit and more blooms. Coulter hibiscus flowers during the hottest part of the season when other plants are not showy. It is short-lived, but reseeds freely.

Benefit

Use Wildlife: Deer browse this plant.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Propagation

Description: Will germinate from fresh, untreated seed planted in spring after last frost. Very easily grown from softwood cuttings taken from summer to fall.
Seed Collection: Gather seeds as soon as capsules begin to dry. Air dry and separate seeds from capsules. Fumigate and store in ventilated containers in cool, dry place.
Commercially Avail: yes

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Hibiscus coulteri in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Hibiscus coulteri in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Hibiscus coulteri

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-02-14
Research By: TWC Staff

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