Lewis County Herald - Serving Hohenwald, Lewis County Tennessee Since 1898

Submitted by Celeste Scott,

UT Extension Madison County

Nothing is more refreshing in the droughty heat of summer than spotting a wild stand of Hibiscus coccineus scarlet red blooms towering above the vegetation of ditches and other low-lying areas. With its bright red flowers and preference for moist sites, this plant claims a variety of aptly descriptive common names: Scarlet Rose Mallow, Rose Mallow, Swamp Mallow and Swamp Hibiscus just to name a few. While there are well over 200 species of Hibiscus and innumerous common names associated with each, the Southeastern United States claims...