Flower-Of-An-Hour

Flower-Of-An-Hour (Hibiscus trionum) is in the Mallow and Hibiscus Family family (Malvaceae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 883 research-grade flowering observations of it in our sample, peaking in September.

Nationally it blooms mainly from July to October, but timing varies a lot by state and elevation — see the table below.

When to photograph Flower-Of-An-Hour: observations by month (U.S.)

About Flower-Of-An-Hour

Hibiscus trionum, commonly called flower-of-an-hour, bladder hibiscus, bladder ketmia, bladder weed, flower-of-the-hour, modesty, puarangi, shoofly, and venice mallow, is an annual plant native to the Old World tropics and subtropics. It has spread throughout southern Europe both as a weed and cultivated as a garden plant. It has been introduced to the United States as an ornamental where it has become naturalized as a weed of cropland and vacant land, particularly on disturbed ground.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.

Flower-Of-An-Hour by state

Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.

Related wildflowers (Mallow and Hibiscus Family)

CheckerbloomSidalcea malviflora

Swamp Rose MallowHibiscus moscheutos

Turk's capMalvaviscus arboreus

Apricot GlobemallowSphaeralcea ambigua

Cretan mallowMalva multiflora

Southern Coastal BushmallowMalacothamnus fasciculatus

Common HibiscusHibiscus syriacus

Cheeseweed MallowMalva parviflora

Photography tips

• Photograph flowers on calm, overcast mornings to avoid wind blur and harsh shadows.
• Get low: a shallow depth of field (f/2.8–f/5.6) isolates a bloom against soft color.
• Stay on trails — trampling meadows kills plants and ruins next year's display.
• Try a kaleidoscope abstract of a single bloom with our online kaleidoscope tool.

FAQ