Rhexia mariana
maryland meadowbeauty
Eastern and southeastern United States
Overview
Rhexia mariana is a colony-forming herbaceous perennial in the melastome family, growing 12-30 inches (30-75 cm) tall from slender rhizomes and small tubers. The squarish, slightly bristly stems carry opposite, lance-shaped leaves 1-2.5 inches (2.5-6 cm) long with three to five main veins and finely toothed, hair-fringed margins. From early to late summer, branched clusters open four-petaled flowers 1-1.5 inches (2.5-4 cm) across in pale pink to rose or sometimes white, each with eight curved, golden-yellow anthers that arch over the center. The flowers last a single day, dropping their petals by afternoon, but new buds open over many weeks. After bloom the flower base develops into an urn-shaped capsule resembling a small pitcher. The species grows in wet meadows, bogs, pond and ditch margins, and moist pine savannas across the eastern and southeastern United States, spreading by rhizomes to form patches. It needs constant moisture and full sun and declines in dry or shaded ground. Its one-day flowers and preference for wet soil limit its use to consistently damp, sunny sites such as rain gardens and pond edges.
Native Range
Native to the eastern and southeastern United States, from New York and the Great Lakes south to Florida and west to Texas, in wet, sunny habitats.Suggested Uses
Used at pond and stream edges, in bog gardens, and in rain gardens that stay moist, spaced 10-15 inches (25-38 cm) apart. Its summer flowers draw bees, which buzz-pollinate the curved anthers to release pollen.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1' - 2'6"
Width/Spread1' - 1'6"
Bloom Information
Flowers open from June through September, peaking in midsummer. Each flower lasts only one day, shedding its petals by afternoon, but plants open new flowers over many weeks. Urn-shaped capsules form through late summer and fall.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
pale pink to roseFoliage Description
green, often reddish-tingedGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-10 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grows in full sun to part shade on constantly moist to wet, acidic soils such as sandy bog and pond margins. It needs steady moisture and will not tolerate dry soil for long. Soil pH from 4.5 to 6.5 suits it, reflecting its acidic wetland habitat. It is hardy in USDA zones 5-9 and dies back to the rhizomes each winter. Propagation is from seed, from rhizome division, or from the small tubers. In a garden it grows well at a pond edge or in a rain garden that stays damp.Pruning
No routine pruning is needed. The dead top growth can be cut back in late winter before the rhizomes send up new shoots in spring.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 2 gallons