Is Rose Mallow deer resistant?
Hibiscus moscheutos
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
About Rose Mallow
Dinner-plate flowers on a hardy native perennial that dies to the ground each winter, unlike the tropical hibiscus it resembles. It emerges very late, often not until late May, so mark the position. Wants wet ground and full sun. Japanese beetles love the flowers.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5.5 to 7
- Drainage
- Consistently moist
- Water
- High
- Spacing
- 35 to 47 in apart
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Maintenance
- Moderate
Deer-resistant alternatives to Rose Mallow
Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If Rose Mallow keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.
- Anise HyssopAgastache sp.Zones 4–9, genus rangeRarely damaged
- Bearded IrisIris germanicaZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- Butter and EggsLinaria vulgarisZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- False IndigoBaptisia australisZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- HorehoundMarrubium vulgareZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- HorseradishArmoracia rusticanaZones 4–9Rarely damaged
Similar to Rose Mallow
Other perennials with the same deer rating.
- AvensGeum sp.Zones 3–8, genus rangeOccasionally damaged
- Balloon FlowerPlatycodon grandiflorusZones 3–8Occasionally damaged
- BellflowerCampanula glomerataZones 3–8Occasionally damaged
- Blanket FlowerGaillardia sp.Zones 3–10, genus rangeOccasionally damaged
- Bloody CranesbillGeranium sanguineumZones 3–9Occasionally damaged
- Cambridge GeraniumGeranium x cantabrigienseZones 4–8Occasionally damaged
Protecting Rose Mallow
Whether this survives comes down to local pressure, so it is worth knowing the options before it gets browsed rather than after.
- How tall a deer fence needs to beEight feet, and six is the most common expensive mistake in deer fencing.
- Repellent that actually worksThe egg-based recipe that reproduces the active ingredient in the commercial sprays that win university trials.
- Check it is actually deerDeer tear and leave a ragged stub. A clean 45-degree cut is rabbits, and slug holes get blamed on deer constantly.
Where Rose Mallow grows
Hardy across most of these 51 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvanianative
- New Jerseynative
- New Yorknative
- Connecticutnative
- Massachusettsnative
- Virginianative
- Marylandnative
- Michigannative
- Wisconsinnative
- Ohionative
- Indiananative
- Illinoisnative
- Minnesota
- Missourinative
- North Carolinanative
- Tennesseenative
- Georgianative
- Texasnative
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Maine
- Rhode Islandnative
- Delawarenative
- West Virginianative
- Kentuckynative
- South Carolinanative
- Floridanative
- Alabamanative
- Mississippinative
- Louisiananative
- Arkansas
- Oklahomanative
- Kansasnative
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utahnative
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexiconative
- Alaska
- District of Columbianative
- Hawaii
Highlighted states are within its native range according to the USDA PLANTS database, where it is native to 31 US states in total.
Browse from here
Every list Rose Mallow belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Rose Mallow
- Is Rose Mallow deer resistant?
- Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Rose Mallow grow in?
- Rose Mallow is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Rose Mallow grow in shade?
- No. Rose Mallow wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- How big does Rose Mallow get?
- Mature height is roughly 24–72 in. Growth rate is fast.