Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)
The huge, showy blossoms of Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos), a member of the Mallow (Malvaceae) family, begin to appear in mid-summer, and continue into early fall. The flowers are most often pink
Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)
or white, sometimes with a red throat, inspiring a different common name, Crimsoneyed Rose Mallow.
Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)
But deeper shades of pink and even red are possible.
Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly nectaring at Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)
Insects like the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail in the photo above are enticed to visit Swamp Rose Mallow’s flowers for the nectar accessible through slits at the base of the flower.
In addition to seeking nectar, bees visit to harvest the abundant pollen the flowers offer. Bees eat pollen, and female bees gather it to provision their nests with this nutritious food for their larvae. The Rose Mallow Bee (Ptilothrix bombiformis) is a specialist forager that only eats the pollen of plants in this genus (Hibiscus) and one other, Morning Glories (Ipomoea).
Bees harvesting pollen from Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos). Note the pollen grains all over their bodies.
Numerous stamens (the male reproductive parts) form a tube that encircles the pistils (female reproductive parts). Each stamen is topped by an anther that releases pollen. At the tips of the pistils are the stigmas, the receptive part of the pistil where the pollen must be deposited in order to initiate pollination. The stigmas extend significantly beyond the stamens, separating them from the flower’s own pollen, thus decreasing the chances that the flower will be self-pollinated.
Bee harvesting pollen from Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos). Note the stigmas to the left of the bee.
Bees are thought to be the primary pollinators of Swamp Rose Mallow, in spite of the fact that they devour vast quantities of its pollen. It also seems plausible that large butterflies such as the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail are effective pollinators of Swamp Rose Mallow. Butterflies visit the flowers purely for nectar; they have no interest in consuming pollen. Butterflies head for the nectaries, accessed through slits at the throat of the flower. As the butterflies drink, their bodies brush against the anthers, picking up pollen. When the butterfly moves on to a different flower, some of that pollen may adhere to the stigmas of the new flower, triggering pollination.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail nectaring at Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos). The butterfly’s wings and body brush against the anthers, picking up pollen.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail nectaring at Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos). The butterfly’s wings and body brush against the flower’s stigmas, depositing pollen, then against the anthers, picking up pollen.
There isn’t much waste in nature. Bees even scavenge pollen that has fallen onto the flower petals. Beetles join the bees at this pollen feast. Hibiscus Seed Beetles (Althaeus hibisci) are primarily interested in eating the seeds of Swamp Rose Mallow and other related species, but while they wait for the seeds to become available, they also consume pollen. As an additional benefit, cruising the flowers is an effective way for the beetles to hook up with members of the opposite sex!
Bee and Hibiscus Seed Beetles (Althaeus hibisci) scavenging for pollen that has fallen onto the petals of a Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) flower.
Hibiscus Seed Beetles (Althaeus hibisci)
Swamp Rose Mallow benefits butterflies in other ways. It is a potential food plant for the caterpillars of several butterflies, including the Gray Hairstreak, Common Checkered-skipper, and Painted Lady.
Gray Hairstreak on goldenrod. The caterpillars of the Gray Hairstreak butterfly eat the foliage of members of the Mallow (Malvaceae) and Pea (Fabaceae) families, as well as some other plants.
Common Checkered-skipper on aster. The caterpillars of the Common Checkered-skipper butterfly have evolved to eat plants from the Mallow (Malvaceae) family.
Painted Lady on Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea). The Painted Lady is the most widespread butterfly in the world. It is a generalist, with its caterpillars able to eat plants from the Mallow (Malvaceae) and Pea (Fabaceae) families, along with thistles, sunflowers and many other plants.
Birds also benefit from the presence of Swamp Rose Mallow. Red-winged Blackbirds may use it as a nesting site.
Male Red-winged Blackbird
Swamp Rose Mallow’s seeds are a fall and winter source of food for birds,
Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) fruit capsules open to release their seeds.
including Northern Pintails, Wood Ducks and Blue-winged Teal.
Northern Pintails with Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) in winter
Wood Duck pair in non-breeding plumage. (Female left, male right.)
Blue-winged Teals
Swamp Rose Mallow is native from Ontario, New York and Massachusetts in the north, south to the southeastern and south central United States. It can grow to a height of about 6.5 feet (2 meters). Swamp Rose Mallow’s natural habitats are primarily wetlands, including swamps, marshes
Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) at the Abbott Marshlands, Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey
and wet meadows.
Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) in the meadow at Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, New Hope, PA
Resources
Cech, Rick; Tudor, Guy. Butterflies of the East Coast. 2005.
Rhoads, Ann Fowler; Block, Timothy A. The Plants of Pennsylvania. 2007
Willmer, Pat. Pollination and Floral Ecology. 2011
The Natural Web 