August Plants of the Month: Cyrilla racemiflora – Swamp cyrilla, TiTi, Leatherwood
An uncommon multi-stem shrub for the northeastern United States, Cyrilla racemiflora blooms from mid summer until late summer.
The fragrant white flowers appear along narrow elongated clusters resembling bottlebrushes beneath the current season’s growth.
This shrub has a variable habit – typically open and spreading – ranging in size from 8-15’ in height and width — often forming a dense thicket.
In autumn the glossy, leathery foliage turns attractive shades of orange and red. It is an easy care, trouble-free plant, preferring wet soils but tolerant of well drained or dry soils (mulch well).
Exposure: full sun to partial shade conditions. Suckers can be controlled with annual pruning.
This plant is suitable for use in informal borders, woodland screens, wet sunny spots and as a specimen.
Blooms best in full sun. Native to the southeastern US, from Virginia to Florida, and west to Texas. Handsome specimens are winter hardy as far north as Boston’s Arnold Arboretum. Hardy zones 5-9. Difficult to find commonly in the nursery trade. Available through mail order sources such as www.forestfarm.com.
Hibiscus moscheutos – Swamp Rose Mallow
Hibiscus moscheutos var. palustris, also known as swamp rose mallow, is a tall, shrub-like, woody-based herbaceous perennial in the Malvaceae or mallow family. perennial plant with large pink flowers that grows in wet areas. It’s native to North America.
The plant grows upright from 2 to 6 feet tall and 2 to 5 feet wide and has multiple sturdy stems. The flowers are replaced by seed capsules that are 1 to 1.25 inches long, oval, and short-beaked. The seed capsule contains a ring of seeds.
Hibiscus moscheutos can be easily grown in average, medium to wet organic soils in full sun but does surprisingly well in average garden soils as long as those soils are not allowed to dry out. It tolerates some light shade, but full sun with good air circulation produces the best flowers, the strongest stems and is the best environment for resisting potential diseases. Site in locations protected from wind to minimize the risk of wind burn. Pinch back growing tips when they reach 8” and again at 12” if bushy plants are desired. Deadhead individual flowers to maintain plant appearance. Cut back stems to approximately 3-4 inches in late autumn. New growth shoots are slow to emerge in spring. However, once new growth begins, it proceeds quite rapidly. Flowers will appear on new growth. Propagation is through seed planting, stem cuttings, or plant division.
Use Rose Mallow in the lowest area of the garden, as a specimen, in a rain garden, along streams or ponds, or as a temporary summer screen or hedge. Plant in native, pollinator, butterfly, or rain gardens. It can also be grown in large containers. Its saucer-shaped flowers are a wildlife food source and are an attraction for pollinators, hummingbirds, butterflies, and specialized bees.
