Map Snapshot
148 Records
Status
Halberd-leaved Rosemallow occurs throughout the eastern and central United States. In Maryland it is known from only a few locations. This native hibiscus is tracked by the Maryland Natural Heritage Program, which has put the plant on the state watchlist with a rank of S3. The plant prefers moist or damp areas, such as exposed riverbanks and shorelines. Its main populations in the state are along the banks of the Potomac and Susquehanna rivers.
Description
Halberd-leaved Rosemallow is a very tall herbaceous flowering plant whose stems become somewhat woody as the season progresses, giving the plant a shrub-like appearance. The large flowers may range in color from an almost-white light pink to dark pink, always with a darker throat. Because of the range of color in the flowers, Halberd-leaved Rosemallow can be confused with Crimson-eyed Rosemallow. The leaves of Halberd-leaved Rosemallow have truncated bases and three lobes; the lobes are pointed, and the middle lobe is much longer than the other two. The leaves of Crimson-eyed Rosemallow have wedge-shaped bases and are oval, tapering to a long point.
Bloom times in the Maryland Biodiversity Project database range from 7/15 to 9/25.
Seasonality Snapshot
Source: Wikipedia
| Hibiscus laevis | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Genus: | Hibiscus |
| Species: | H. laevis
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| Binomial name | |
| Hibiscus laevis | |
| Synonyms | |
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Hibiscus laevis (syn. Hibiscus militaris), the halberd-leaf rosemallow, is a herbaceous perennial flower native to central and eastern North America. Their showy, creamy-white or pink flowers are large, up to 15 centimetres (6 in) across, and are hard to miss. These flowers require exposure to sunlight to open up properly, and then last only a single day.
The unbranched stems of this plant are round and hairless, frequently growing to 2 metres (6 ft) tall and sometimes taller. The root system includes a taproot.
The hairless leaves are alternate, 8 to 15 centimetres (3 to 6 in) long, divided into 3–5 pointed lobes (cleft) and have serrate or crenate edges. They are simple and pointed at the tip. The leaves with three lobes resemble a medieval halberd because the middle lobe is much larger than the two side lobes. The five-lobed leaves also look like halberds or daggers.
Flowers are solitary or occur in small clusters at the tops of the upper stems. They are fairly large, about 13 centimetres (5 in) across when fully open. They are mostly white or light pink, but the inside throat of the flower is often maroon or a rich purplish pink color. Each flower has five petals with five hairless green sepals below. There are numerous stamens, all attached to a central column. The pistils have superior ovaries and five stigmas protruding from the central column in the flower. The fruit is an ovoid capsule containing many seeds.
The blooming period can occur from mid-summer to early fall (June to September) and lasts about a month. Each flower lasts only a single day. This plant spreads by reseeding itself. The stalks die down in the winter and grow back in the spring.
This plant prefers full or partial sun and moist conditions. It can grow in sand or clay with sufficient moisture, and can tolerate poor drainage. They are frequently found along streams, ponds and lakes and in marshy areas, roadside ditches, and sometimes in shallow standing water.
The seeds of this plant are eaten by waterfowl and bobwhite quail.
References
[edit]- ^ "Hibiscus laevis". NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-07-03.