Good morning folks!
Today we have the same rhythm as last’s week letter…
Meet the Plant
In the Garden
Sweet Summer Wreaths
Meet Swamp Rose-Mallow
I was driving down the road the other day and Swamp Rose-mallow caught my attention. She’s hard to miss when she blooms because her giant white blossoms pop out of the marsh like the full moon on a clear night.
Swamp Rose-mallow is a native perennial that grows in tidal freshwater marshes, brackish marshes, along sunny edges of swamps, and moist roadside ditches. The latter is where you are most likely to see her because we spend a lot of time on the road, us humans. Most of the plants I am very familiar with are these- the ones I see regularly along my commute, whether that’s walking around my home, or driving to town/work…. More on this later (the easy way of teaching yourself about the plants that surround you).
Back to the beautiful Swamp Rose-mallow. So, we know where to find her, but what does she look like? Her stems grow up to 6 ft in a season and have a spongy center. Her large leaves sometimes have reddish purple veins that reflect the color of the center of her flower. Her flowers emerge in June here in the Lowcountry, and later in the Summer in cooler climates. They have the familiar look of a hibiscus blossom- a wide open blossom with large white petals, and a large pistil extending from the center. The flowers are white, occasionally you can find variations lightly shaded pink, and they always have a gorgeous purple-red center. This is my favorite part of the flower. Staring into her purple red center, that contrasts so deeply with the white of the petal. It’s intoxicating.
In time, and through pollination, her blossoms transform into gorgeous dried seed pods I can use in my wreaths. Once the pods dry out and pop open, releasing their seeds to the Earth (or birds for that matter) I harvest them. They add nice texture to a fall or wintery dried wreath.
In the winter you won’t find this plant, her foliage above ground dies back, and her roots are busy using the energy she received from the sun in the previous year, to expand and grow in the soil where its warm(er) than the air. She waits to break dormancy after there is no chance of frost, when the days are longer and the soil heats up.
This plant is related to okra, and if you know okra, you know its famous for the gooey-ness of her tasty pods. Swamp rose-mallow produces the same gooey mucilage in her leaves and roots that okra does, and it is excellent for protecting and restoring the lining of our intestines and other mucous lined parts of the body. It is pretty common to see marshmallow root in the herbal supplement aisle, or tea section of the super market. I’ve never harvested my own mallow root or leaf before, but I tend to not have gut issues fortunately. I have used marshmallow root supplements in the far past, and I can vouch they do sooth digestion!
If you would like to incorporate this plant into your home landscape you very well can do that! I have one I planted several years ago and it thrives under neglect. You can purchase this plant, or a relative (there’s a lot of native hibiscus/mallows) at Roots and Shoots Nursery or start your own from seeds you’ve collected from the wild in the fall. That is how I started mine, and they sprout quite easily from seed. The seeds are very big too which helps. She will be happy planted in moist-wet soil and in full sun. If the soil is alkaline she may show stress, so make sure the soil is lower in ph. Get ready to be wowed by her blossoms from early to mid summer!
That’s it for now, and go spot Rose-mallow!
In the garden
If you’ve followed me since Winter, you might recall the perennial flower garden I established during January. She is now blooming in full force, and this is only the first year! Next year will be an even greater delight, because perennials only improve with more months to establish themselves. Lucky me and the bees! What is so great about a native perennial garden is that they thrive with little maintenance. The flowers I’ve planted prefer poor soil and very little water.
Rudbeckia hirta ‘Irish Eyes’
Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus’
Evening harvest- mostly Rudbeckia hirta ‘Irish Eyes’ along with an assortment of annual flowers grown in the veg garden- strawflower, celosia, and zinnia all getting ready for the drying room… Speaking of I’m teaching a class on the Art of Dried Flowers. If you’re interested in joining me, you can save your spot here. We only have three spots left!
Sweet Summer Wreaths
I have uploaded a new set of wreaths to my website available for purchase. They are all one of a kind. The perfect way to add cheer to your home, and a sweet gift to celebrate the arrival of a baby or lift someone’s spirit. You can view them here, and remember to use your discount code ‘substacker15’ because you’re a a subscriber!
Thank you all for reading. Till next Saturday…
Blessings,
Lucie