A shrubby perennial with numerous sturdy stems arising from a single crown.

The large, heart-shaped leaves are grayish-green above and hairy-white below.

The showy, five-petaled, creamy-white flowers have a conspicuous band of red or burgundy at their bases from which a tubular column of yellow stamens extends.

This strikingly showy species is often found along edges of salt marshes but is more common in upper-valley wetlands.

It is found in wetlands and along the riverine systems of the southeastern United States.