Audubon® Native Rose Mallow

With its big, bodacious flowers (to six inches wide), Smooth Rose Mallow looks like some tender, tropical beauty you’d find in a conservatory. In fact, this flashy Spirit is native to southern Minnesota, and it tolerates winter temperatures to -30ºF! Being a native plant, it is more than just a pretty face—it services many native insects that have evolved with it. One such specialist is the Hibiscus bee. This gentle bee is a type of ground-dwelling bee called a chimney bee or turret bee. It makes a little turret around the entry to its mud home.

Smooth Rose Mallow is most abundant in the lower Midwest and southward to Louisiana, but there are also scattered populations along the Eastern Seaboard. You’ll find it growing in swampy areas or along creeks and rivers in sunny, open sites. It is distinguished from other Hibiscus species (Smooth Rose Mallow is a type of Hibiscus) by its unique leaves, which have three lobes—a long central one and two smaller side lobes. The leaves bear a resemblance to a medieval weapon known as a halberd. Hence, this plant is also called the Halberd-Leaved Rose Mallow.

If they don’t become bird food, some of the caterpillars that Smooth Rose Mallow hosts become interesting adults. There is the painted lady butterfly, the io moth, and the pearly wood nymph. Then there is a funny insect called the “delightful bird-dropping moth!” It’s actually kind of cute—even though the name is spot-on.

Audubon is devoted to protecting birds and the places they need, while Bower & Branch is devoted to the growth of true native trees and plants–no cultivars or hybrids. Together, we strive to unite communities in conservation and inspire individuals to cultivate a better world for birds starting in their own backyards, balconies, or patios. By guiding and recommending trees and plants truly native and beneficial to your region, we can really start to make a difference.

What is the definition of Native?

“In the United States, a native plant is defined as one that was naturally found in a particular area before European colonization. Native plants are the foundation of a region’s biodiversity, providing essential food sources and shelter for birds, especially those threatened by the changing climate. Since native plants are adapted to local precipitation and soil conditions, they generally require less upkeep, therefore helping the environment and saving you time, water, and money.” – The National Audubon Society

Learn how you can help birds in your home and community through Audubon’s Plants for Birds program.

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