Zone 7B
At President Lincoln’s Cottage (Washington, D.C., NTHS) in the summer, Hibiscus moscheutos (‘Lord Baltimore’ variety) commonly known as rose mallow or hardy hibiscus, is the star of the show in a pollinator garden next to the main entrance of our Visitor Education Center, welcoming guests with its large, showy scarlet-red flowers. A striking native perennial found in wetlands, marshes, and along riverbanks across eastern North America the hibiscus prefers moist, well-drained soils and full sun, often growing three–seven feet tall with large, showy pink, white, or red flowers up to eight inches wide, and blooms from July to September.—Seth Young, Historic Gardens and Grounds Interpreter
Threatened by invasive species, development and herbicides the bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora) has colonized a beautiful swath of ground in Cliveden’s (Germantown, Pennsylvania, NTHS) shade garden. The site selected the bottlebrush buckeye as a main focal point when establishing a shade garden at the site over the past few years. Found in rich, moist woodlands, the bottlebrush has palmately compound leaves with 5-6 leaflets and can grow up to 12 feet tall. The plant produces showy white flowers in summer which resemble a bottle brush and attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators, as well as chipmunks and squirrels who enjoy the plants nuts.—Jaime Davenport, Gardener
