Hibiscus grandiflorus, the velvet mallow, is a grand native swamp hibiscus with soft, gray-green, velvety leaves and pale pink flowers the size of dinner plates that open on late summer evenings. It grows tall and architectural, easily 6 to 10 feet or more in a season, commanding the back of a planting.

It is a wetland native, so give it full sun and generous moisture: pond edges, rain gardens, and low wet spots suit it exactly. It dies to the ground in winter and returns from the crown late in spring, so mark its place. Butterflies and hummingbirds visit.