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Kosteletzkya pentacarpos is often confused with:
Hibiscus grandiflorus Form
Plants that fill a similar niche:
Clethra alnifolia Clethra alnifolia
Hibiscus laevis Flowers
Hibiscus moscheutos Native habitat

Seashore Mallow Kosteletzkya pentacarpos

Other Common Name(s):

Previously known as:

  • Kosteletzkya virginica
Phonetic Spelling
koh-stel-LETZ-kee-yuh pen-tah-KAR-pos
Description

Seashore mallow is a native short-lived subshrub in the Mallow (Malvaceae) family and is found in marshes and brackish water along the eastern seashore of the United States.

Seashore mallow is moderately salt tolerant growing in sunny wet to well-drained but moisture-retentive sites.  It grows 3 to 6 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide with soft gray green angular leaves.

The beautiful hibiscus-like pink flowers appear from July to October with their nectar attracting pollinators like hummingbirds and butterflies.

Use this plant along ditches, ponds and streams, in rain gardens and for native/pollinator gardens in moist soil.

This plant was selected as the 1990 NC Wildflower of the Year, a program managed by the North Carolina Botanical Garden with some financial support from the Garden Club of North Carolina.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  No significant problems.

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • 'Immaculate'
    White flowers
'Immaculate'
Tags:
#hummingbird friendly#showy flowers#rain garden#pink flowers#edible flowers#salt tolerant#wetlands#NC native#hairy leaves#pollinator plant#edible leaves#subshrub#food source fall#NC Native Pollinator Plant#Coastal OBL#food source nectar#food source pollen#Piedmont Mountains OBL#wet soils tolerant#butterfly friendly#flood tolerant#Audubon#NC Wildflower of the Year#coastal plant
 
Flower detail
Flower detail Debbie Roos
Flower detail
Flower detail Bob Peterson CC BY 4.0
Flower bud
Flower bud Katja Schultz CC BY 4.0
5 petalled pink flower with long yellow stamen & short anthers
Flower, Buds, Stem - Aug - Durham Co., NC Girish Bhatt CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Elongated Spear Headed Green Leaves
Leaf - Aug. - Durham Co., NC Girish Bhatt CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Green pentagon shaped with 5 sections.
Fruit - Sept. - Durham Co., NC Girish Bhatt CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Brown seedpods with five sections containing five seeds
Seed Head & Seeds - September - Durham Co., NC Girish Bhatt CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • 'Immaculate'
    White flowers
'Immaculate'
Tags:
#hummingbird friendly#showy flowers#rain garden#pink flowers#edible flowers#salt tolerant#wetlands#NC native#hairy leaves#pollinator plant#edible leaves#subshrub#food source fall#NC Native Pollinator Plant#Coastal OBL#food source nectar#food source pollen#Piedmont Mountains OBL#wet soils tolerant#butterfly friendly#flood tolerant#Audubon#NC Wildflower of the Year#coastal plant
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Kosteletzkya
    Species:
    pentacarpos
    Family:
    Malvacea
    Uses (Ethnobotany):
    Oil from the seeds have used as a biofuel and in paints and varnishes. Fibers from the stem have been used to make string.
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    E. U.S.A. to Texas, Bermuda, Cuba, S. Europe to N. Iran
    Distribution:
    AL , DE , FL , GA , LA , MD , MS , NC , NJ , NY , PA , SC , TX , VA
    Wildlife Value:
    This plant attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators.
    Edibility:
    Flowers can be eaten fresh on salads or used to make tea. Leaves are edible cooked or raw but best if cooked. Roots can also be eaten raw or cooked.
    Dimensions:
    Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Edible
    Herbaceous Perennial
    Native Plant
    Wildflower
    Habit/Form:
    Erect
    Growth Rate:
    Medium
    Maintenance:
    Low
    Texture:
    Medium
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Soil Texture:
    High Organic Matter
    Sand
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Neutral (6.0-8.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Moist
    Occasional Flooding
    Occasionally Wet
    Available Space To Plant:
    3 feet-6 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Mountains
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Fall
    Fruit Type:
    Capsule
    Fruit Description:
    Brown ,flat 5 chambered capsules with a single seed inside each chamber display from October to November
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Pink
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Solitary
    Flower Value To Gardener:
    Edible
    Showy
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Fall
    Summer
    Flower Shape:
    Cup
    Flower Petals:
    4-5 petals/rays
    Flower Size:
    1-3 inches
    Flower Description:
    Solitary flowers range from 1.5-3 inches in width and may be axillary or terminal. They have five petals and yellow stamens along a tubular column. They bloom from July to October.
  • Leaves:
    Leaf Color:
    Gray/Silver
    Green
    Leaf Value To Gardener:
    Edible
    Leaf Type:
    Simple
    Leaf Shape:
    Deltoid
    Ovate
    Rhomboidal
    Leaf Margin:
    Dentate
    Entire
    Hairs Present:
    Yes
    Leaf Length:
    3-6 inches
    Leaf Description:
    Gray-green ovate to deltoid or rhomboid, entire to irrgular tooths on the margins. Leaves are 2-5 inches with slightly hairy or rough, divergent basal leaves.
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Gray/Silver
    Green
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Surface:
    Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
    Stem Description:
    Pubecent gray green stems
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Coastal
    Landscape Theme:
    Butterfly Garden
    Edible Garden
    Native Garden
    Pollinator Garden
    Rain Garden
    Water Garden
    Attracts:
    Butterflies
    Hummingbirds
    Pollinators
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Salt
    Wet Soil