Maryland Meadow Beauty is a low-growing perennial in the meadow beauty family. It is found in the southeastern US in savannas, meadows, marshes and bogs. It prefers moist, sandy-loam, slightly acidic soil in full sun to part shade. It will also tolerate rocky acidic soils and seasonal flooding. The flowers appear mid-summer to fall with a fairly long bloom season of 1-2 months. They are pollinated primarily by bumblebees. Two varieties occur in our area and are distinguished by their leaves: Rhexia mariana var. mariana has lanceolate, elliptic or ovate leaves that are 0.25 to 2.5 inches across, whereas R. mariana var. exalbida has linear leaves less than 0.25 inch wide. Use this plant along ponds or streams, around water gardens, bogs or other sandy wet areas.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Moist | Occasionally Wet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Lanceolate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire; Serrate
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
The leaves are opposite and elliptic, lanceolate, or ovate, up to 3 inches long and 1.25 inches across. The leaves are 3-nerved with the surface nearly glabrous to hairy. They may take on a maroon coloring in the fall.
Fall color
Red/Burgundy
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Saucer
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
The 2 inches wide, 4 petaled flowers are white, pink, purple, or pale pink and have long stamens with bright yellow curved anthers.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
Seed pods are small and brown, resembling urns.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Green stem is glandular-hairy
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
SE U.S.A., NC
Distribution
AL , AR , DC , DE , FL , GA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , MI , MO , MS , NC , NJ , NY , OK , PA , SC , TN , TX , VA , WV
Attracts
Bees
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Capsule
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Meadow; Naturalized Area; Pond; Woodland
Landscape theme
Native Garden; Pollinator Garden; Rain Garden; Water Garden