This species is found throughout much of the Atlantic and Gulf coastlines of eastern North America, from New York south to Cuba, east to Bermuda, and west to Texas.

It also has a fragmented distribution along the Mediterranean shoreline of southern Europe, including parts of coastal Spain & Italy, the Balearic Islands, and Corsica.

[1] While this species is common throughout its North American range, populations in Eurasia are rare and have been severely fragmented by agricultural and urban development, and over the past few decades it has been lost from many localities where it was previously known.

[1][4][7] In ancient Transcaucasia, K. pentacarpos and Hibiscus ponticus were abundant enough to be harvested in large numbers for their strong stem fibers, which were useful for making ropes and nets.

[1] In addition, studies indicate that K. pentacarpos is a potentially useful species for phytoremediation of saline soils polluted by metalloids, and can also facilitate the transition of coastal agricultural land to wetlands following sea level rise.