Hibiscus moscheutos Giant Red - Swamp Rose Mallow

The Hibiscus moscheutos 'Giant Red' is a rather fantastic marsh hibiscus variety, with immense flowers that shine with intense red and bloom on an elegantly cut and beautifully coloured purple foliage. Whether for its foliage or its extended summer flowering, this large bushy perennial is decorative for a good part of the year. It can be planted in large pots kept very moist throughout the growing season. It is also extremely decorative at the edge of a pond.

The Hibiscus moscheutos Giant Red, also known as Hibiscus palustris, is an herbaceous plant with a woody base belonging to the mallow family, cousin to mallows and marsh roses. Its ancestor is native to the marshes of the southern United States, where it can reach heights of up to 2m (6 ft 7 in). In our climate, the marsh mallow blooms quite late in spring, with straight, upright stems forming a spreading bush. The above-ground vegetation dries up and disappears in winter, while the base rests in the soil. Horticulturists have taken hold of this astonishing botanical species and have obtained many very interesting cultivars, showing larger flowers with various colours and increased floribundity.

The 'Giant Red' variety is a creation of Pépinière Fleurs du Sud. The Carrousel range combines hardy and floriferous marsh hibiscus varieties with dark purple foliage that enhances their immense single flowers. The plant forms a beautiful bushy shrub that will quickly reach a height of 1.20m (3 ft 11 in) and a width of 1m in one season. This cultivar bears 25-30cm (9.8-11.8 in) diameter flowers with a shiny texture and a pure, bright red colour. They are short-lived, but the shrub constantly produces new flowers from July to September. The stems and leaves are a darker purple when exposed to full sun. The large leaves are cut into narrow and pointed lobes with scalloped edges. If the plant lacks sunlight, the foliage will be more olive green. It remains very ornamental throughout the growing season.

Like the Hibiscus moscheutus Giant Red, marshmallows are spectacular plants that cannot be ignored: some dislike their immense flowers because they can be challenging to incorporate into a natural setting, while others adore them for the same reasons that make them popular in a contemporary-style garden or a carefully arranged exotic scene around a small terrace pond. This superb plant may suffer in colder or mountainous areas, even though its hardiness can reach -15°C when the stump is dry in winter. All marsh hibiscus varieties add another dimension to waterlogged flowerbeds or pond edges, accompanied by cannas, Ethiopian arums, or papyrus. This 'Giant Red' selection, with its red flowers and purple foliage, makes a lovely plant for a sunny terrace.