Hibiscus moscheutos ssp moscheutos

Perennial of the Malvaceae family, Hibiscus moscheutos subsp. moscheutos is native to the eastern United States, where it occupies freshwater marshes, flood-prone banks, and marshy meadows. Introduced in Europe, it has become naturalized in some French wetlands, particularly in the marshes of the Landes, where it forms remarkable spontaneous colonies in the heart of reed beds and shallow water bodies.

It forms large, bushy, and vigorous clumps, 1 to 1.80 meters in height, with upright and robust stems. The leaves are large, oval to slightly trilobed, medium green, whitish and finely tomentose on their underside, a characteristic visible when the wind turns them over.

The flowers, very large, reach 15 to 20 cm in diameter; their five petals are bright pink to bright magenta pink, sometimes marked with a slightly darker center. Ephemeral, they each last only one day, but are abundantly renewed throughout the summer, offering a striking spectacle at the water's edge.

In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from July to September. In cultivation, it requires deep, rich, and constantly moist soil, in full sun; it tolerates having its feet in water and naturally integrates into bank compositions and wetland gardens.