Rhexia mariana (Maryland Meadow Beauty)

A genuinely specialized pollination story sets Maryland meadow beauty apart - it is one of the relatively few native wildflowers that relies on buzz pollination, where bees use vibration rather than simple contact to release pollen, adding real ecological texture to a sunny bog or pond-margin planting.

Species Overview

Rhexia mariana, commonly called Maryland meadow beauty or pale meadow beauty, is a colonial perennial herb native to the eastern and lower midwestern United States, growing up to 2.5 feet tall. It produces showy, 4-petaled pink or white flowers with bright yellow or orange anthers from June through August, found naturally in savannas, meadows, marshes, and bogs.

Application

• Sunny bog gardens and pond margin plantings
• Coastal plain wetland and marsh restoration
• Buzz-pollinator habitat - relies on vibration-based pollen release
• Naturalized moist meadow and seepage plantings

Growing Conditions / Specification Data

• Light: Part Shade (tolerates full sun with adequate moisture)
• Soil/Moisture Tolerance: Moist to occasionally wet, sandy, acidic soils
• Plant Type: Forb
• Mature Height: 1-2 ft.
• Fall Color: Insignificant/None
• Bloom Color / Period: Pink, White; June-August
• Wetland Indicator Status: NI (No Indicator) - see flags
• Native Range: Northeast/Mid-Atlantic (full list)
• Hydrology: Mesic-Moist
• Root Depth: Shallow (Under 12 in.)
• Salinity Tolerance: Low
• Growth Rate: Moderate
• Drought Tolerance: Low
• Deer Resistance: Yes (Rarely Damaged)
• Flood Tolerance: Moderate - A moist meadow species tolerant of periodically wet soil, consistent with this species' already-confirmed part-shade, moist-habitat profile.
• Shade Tolerance: Intermediate
• Growth Habit: Spreading - rhizomatous
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-9
• Pollinator Value: Supports bees