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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 coccineus (Scarlet rosemallow)
Romfh, Peggy

Hibiscus coccineus

Hibiscus coccineus Walter

Scarlet Rosemallow, Crimson Rosemallow, Wild Red Mallow, Texas Star Hibiscus

Malvaceae (Mallow Family)

Synonym(s): Hibiscus semilobatus

USDA Symbol: hico2

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

The palmately divided leaves of this 4-7+ ft. rose-mallow are palmately cut and shiny. The flowers are deep-scarlet and over 6 in. in width. A large plant with big, showy, crimson flowers in upper leaf axils.

This very showy species, typical of the mallow family, is sometimes cultivated. It is certainly one of the loveliest of our native flowers.

 

From the Image Gallery

11 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 10 feet tall, often shorter.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Red
Bloom Time: May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , FL , GA , LA , MS , NC , SC , VA
Native Distribution: FL to MS
Native Habitat: Swamp, marshes & ditches of the coastal plain

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Wet
Soil Description: Wet soils.
Conditions Comments: Clumps of Hibiscus start to grow late in the season and flower over a long period in late summer.

Propagation

Description: Easily grown from seed.
Commercially Avail: yes

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:AGCPAKAWCBEMPGPHIMWNCNEWMVE
Status: OBL OBL
This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Texas Discovery Gardens - Dallas, TX
Longwood Gardens - Kennett Square, PA
NPSOT - Austin Chapter - Austin, TX

Bibliography

Bibref 1620 - Gardening with Native Plants of the South (Reprint Edition) (2009) Wasowski, S. with A. Wasowski
Bibref 841 - Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

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

Research Literature

Reslit 778 - Consequences of hydrochory in Hibiscus (2006) H. Kudoh, R. Shimamura, K. Takayama and D. F. Whig...
Reslit 1453 - Effect of plant growth retardants on stem elongation of hibiscus species (2003) R. M. Warner and J. E. Erwin
Reslit 1454 - Effect of photoperiod and daily light integral on flowering of five Hibiscus species (2003) R. M. Warner and J. E. Erwin
Reslit 2101 - Effects of El-500 on Height and Lateral Shoot Development of Hibiscus coccineus Walt (1984) J. Fielek
Reslit 2694 - Our hardy Hibiscus species as ornamentals (1970) H. F. Winters

This information was provided by the Florida WIldflower Foundation.
Search More Titles in Research Literature

Additional resources

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

Metadata

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

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