North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Hibiscus aculeatus

Hibiscus aculeatus Walter

savanna rose-mallow, comfort-root, comfortroot, savanna hibiscus

Synonym(s): Hibiscus scaber

Hibiscus aculeatus (Savanna Rose-mallow)

Image ID: 24947
Image by: Ware, Richard & Teresa
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: HIAC
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Hibiscus aculeatus
Include in WOTAS: 1
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2018-09-16

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: HIBIS2
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Hibiscus
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Rosemallow
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of about 200-300 species, trees, shrubs, and herbs, of tropical to warm temperate areas.
GENUS IDENTIFICATION:
GENUS REFERENCES: Blanchard in FNA (2015); Blanchard (2008)=Z; Wise & Menzel (1971); Bayer & Kubitzki in Kubitzki & Bayer (2003).

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: MALVAC
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Malvaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: A.L. de Jussieu 1789
FAMILY COMMON: Mallow Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 243 genera and 4000-4500 species, herbs, shrubs, and trees, of cosmopolitan distribution, but especially diverse in the tropics and subtropics. Malvaceae has always been difficult to circumscribe cleanly, relative to members of such families as Sterculiaceae and Tiliaceae. Molecular evidence now adds to morphologic evidence that traditional circumscriptions of these families are highly polyphyletic. Bayer et al. (1999) present a classification of an expanded Malvaceae, with 9 subfamilies recognized. This family includes several economically important species, including cotton (Gossypium spp.), cacao or chocolate (Theobroma cacao Linnaeus), and cola (Cola acuminata R. Brown).
FAMILY REFERENCE: Bayer et al. (1999); Bayer & Kubitzki in Kubitzki & Bayer (2003); Fryxell (1988). [including STERCULIACEAE and TILIACEAE]

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO: Erect, shrub-like perennial arising from a woody crown, found in pine savannas and dry sandy or loamy soils of maritime forest edges.
STEMS: Stems mostly simple, rough-hairy.
LEAVES: Leaves alternate, petiolate, to 3 1/2 in. long, with 3-5 deeply cut lobes, coarsely toothed and rough-hairy.
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS: Flowers solitary on stalks from leaf axils; cream-white (turning pink with age) with a dark red center; 4 1/2 in. wide; consisting of 5 overlapping scalloped-edge petals, a 5-lobed calyx and an erect central column of red stamens surrounding a red pistil. The flower rests on a whorl of 10-15 very narrow, green bracts.
FRUITS:
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT: 3-6 ft.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Herb

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Alternate
LEAF COMPLEXITY: Simple
LEAF RETENTION: Deciduous

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY: Radial (Actinomorphic)
BLOOM TIME: June-August

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
					x	x	x	x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR: Cream to pale yellow

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
x				x

FRUITING PERIOD: Jul-Sep.

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: maritime, Pine savannas
NATIVE RANGE: southeastern United States

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: Savanna rose-mallow has striking pale yellow flowers with dark purplish centers. Each flower is about 4Â½ inches across and turns pink as it ages. Its lobed leaves add a handsome texture to the garden. This perennial is found in coastal pinelands and upland bogs from Texas to North Carolina. Another of its common names, â€œcomfortroot,â€ comes from the mucilagineous qualities of its roots that have been used to make soothing medicine for sore throats. The genus Hibiscus supports up to 18 lepidoptera species.

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes: This great plant grows in pine savannas from Carteret county N.C. southward along the coastal plain to central Florida. Savanna rose-mallow is a perennial that grows in a clump of bristly stems about three feet in length with very coarse leaves having three to five lobes. It flowers from late June through August with beautifully cupped blossoms three to four inches in diameter. The flowers have delicate yellow or cream colored petals and a brilliant crimsom base or throat.

SOIL MOISTURE: Average, Moist/Wet
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 7
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 10
GERMINATION CODE: 3
WILDLIFE VALUE: Bee Friendly, Butterfly Friendly, Hummingbird Friendly
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
1274	HORT	2005-09-12	Bryan	View
1342	HORT	2006-10-01	Bryan	View

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
1938	1986-1724			View
7127	1999-0086	1999-09-09		View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
3085	1938	58	NCBG staff	1967-12-31	View
10068	7127	51	NCBG staff	1967-12-31	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: HIAC
USDA Common Name: Comfortroot
Native Status: L48 (N)
Distribution: USA (AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TX)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Forb/herb

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACW				FACW

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast

2018 Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Plant Species of North Carolina

NHP ID	S RANK	ROUNDED S RANK	G RANK	ROUNDED G RANK	STATE STATUS	FEDERAL STATUS
17489	S1	S1	G4G5	G4	T

This information is derived from the 2018 North Carolina Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Plant Species.

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Hibiscus aculeatus
COMMON NAME: Savanna Hibiscus, Comfort-root
SYNONYMY: [= FNA, GW, K, RAB, S, WH3]
PHENOLOGY: Jun-Aug; Jul-Sep.
HABITAT: Pine savannas, dry sandy or loamy soils of maritime forest edges.
COMMENTS: Se. NC south to sc. peninsular FL, west to LA.
RANGE MAP: Hibiscus aculeatus.png

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Malvaceae A.L. de Jussieu 1789 (Mallow Family)
SUMMARY: A family of about 243 genera and 4000-4500 species, herbs, shrubs, and trees, of cosmopolitan distribution, but especially diverse in the tropics and subtropics. Malvaceae has always been difficult to circumscribe cleanly, relative to members of such families as Sterculiaceae and Tiliaceae. Molecular evidence now adds to morphologic evidence that traditional circumscriptions of these families are highly polyphyletic. Bayer et al. (1999) present a classification of an expanded Malvaceae, with 9 subfamilies recognized. This family includes several economically important species, including cotton (Gossypium spp.), cacao or chocolate (Theobroma cacao Linnaeus), and cola (Cola acuminata R. Brown).
REFERENCE: Bayer et al. (1999); Bayer & Kubitzki in Kubitzki & Bayer (2003); Fryxell (1988). [including STERCULIACEAE and TILIACEAE]

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Hibiscus L. (Rosemallow)
SUMMARY: A genus of about 200-300 species, trees, shrubs, and herbs, of tropical to warm temperate areas.
REFERENCE: Blanchard in FNA (2015); Blanchard (2008)=Z; Wise & Menzel (1971); Bayer & Kubitzki in Kubitzki & Bayer (2003).

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Hibiscus aculeatus in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Hibiscus aculeatus in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Hibiscus aculeatus in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Hibiscus aculeatus in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Hibiscus aculeatus in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Hibiscus aculeatus

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 24947 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 20166 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 0 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 20168 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)