Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)

This is a 3-8 ft., shrubby perennial with numerous sturdy stems arising from a single crown. The large, heart-shaped leaves are grayish-green above and hairy-white below. The showy, five-petaled, creamy-white to pink flowers often have a conspicuous band of red or burgundy at their bases from which a tubular column of yellow stamens extends. This strikingly showy species is often found along edges of salt marshes but is more common in upper-valley wetlands.