Turk's Cap
© Greg Lavaty
Malvaviscus arborea
Family: Malvaceae (Mallow Family)
Turk's Cap is a beautiful native plant for the garden with an exceptionally long blooming season. The flowers are small scarlet turbans. It prefers moist soil and partial shade, but is tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions. Established plants are drought-tolerant.
- Scientific Name: Malvaviscus arborea
- Common Names: Turk's Cap, Wax Mallow, Bleeding Hearts, Mexican Apple, Manzanita
- Family: Malvaceae (Mallow Family)
- Growth Habit: Shrub
- Height: Typically up to 10 feet. Occasionally taller.
- Leaves: Heart-shaped, Velvety
- Flowers: Red
- Bloom Time: June through October. Blooms in mild winters.
- Wildlife Benefits: Hummingbirds love the flowers. Its seeds, encased in bright red fruit-like capsules, are eaten by many species of birds as well as other wildlife. Larval host for the Gray Hairstreak.
Where to Find It
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Interested in adding Turk's Cap to your garden? Check if this is in stock or add to cart to purchase directly from our Natives Nursery.
Notes and Tips
Turk's Cap is a must for the hummingbird garden. Its long blooming season means that it attracts both summer residents and fall migrants. Plants will continue to bloom in mild winters.
Turk's Cap can be pruned to form airy shrubs, but if left alone, the individual stalks can grow over ten feet. Yaupon provides good support for those desiring tall plants. After hard freezes, plants quickly recover with new growth sprouting from the roots.
Turk's Cap occasionally self-seeds. Since it forms a taproot, only very young volunteers are easily transplanted.
Natural habitats include moist woodlands and along streams.
© Joe Liggio
