Hibiscus moscheutos Planet Griotte - Swamp Rose Mallow

The Hibiscus moscheutos 'Planet Griotte Tangri' is a superb selection from the Planet series, developed for its early and particularly long flowering, spreading from July to September. Its flowers are short-lived, in huge flat cups, as wide as plates, displaying a cherry red colour that stands out from afar. The plant forms new flowers every two to three days on this amazing perennial hibiscus with a woody base that is adapted to marshlike soils. It fades every winter, to be reborn in spring, crowned with heavily weighted branches of lush foliage, tinged with purple, highly ornamental throughout the growing season. A spectacular plant for water features, or even in large pots, kept very moist on the terrace.

The Hibiscus moscheutos is an herbaceous plant with a woody base from the family of Malvaceae, cousin to mallow and hollyhocks. It is native to marshes in the southern United States, where it can reach up to 2m (6 ft 7 in) in height. In our climate, this marsh mallow produces straight, upright stems every year, quite late in spring, forming an open bush. Horticulturists have taken hold of this amazing botanical species and have obtained numerous very interesting cultivars, displaying larger flowers and increased floribundity. Among them, the 'Planet' series stands out, with well-branched plants that can withstand temperatures as low as -12°C and require less sun to develop their long flowering period, which is an advantage when summers are cool.

The 'Griotte' variety forms a beautiful bushy clump that will quickly reach 1.70m (5 ft 7 in) in height and 1.20m (3 ft 11 in) in width. This cultivar is distinguished by its large single flowers that can reach 25cm (9.8 in) in diameter, with a vibrant colour, a very rich red that evokes ripe cherries. The large, uniform leaves of this selection are divided into 3 pointed lobes, with a dark greenish-purple colour even outside the flowering period.

Adorned with diplomas, the Hibiscus moscheutos 'Planet Griotte Tangri' received the Bronze Medal at Plantarium 2013 (Boskoop - NETHERLANDS), as well as the First Prize AQUIFLOR Eco'Innovation in 2014 (Bordeaux - FRANCE). This superb plant will bring a different dimension to marshy flowerbeds, but it is when planted on the edge of a pond that it will truly shine, accompanied by a Gunnera mannicata, cannas, or a Colocasia esculenta. It also allows for the creation of sumptuous pots with a very exotic charm.