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Texas mallow or Drummond’s wax mallow is more commonly known and recognized under the name Turk’s cap, although other common names exist – Mexican Apple, Red Mallow, May Apple, Scotchman’s Purse, and Bleeding Heart.
Texas mallow (Malvaviscus arboreus var drummondii) is a shrub that typically remains short (2 ½ to 4 feet tall) in its native habitats, but easily can reach nine feet in height in cultivation. The leaves are palmately veined, slightly three-lobed and toothed on the edges, and heart-shaped at the base. The flowers, 1 to 2 inches long, are typically bright red, although white blooms have been cultivated. The five petals are closely folded together, spreading slightly at the top, to reveal the column of stamens rising from the center.
Although some sources list Malvaviscus drummondii as a separate species, it is currently considered to be a variant of M. arboreus. The species name refers to its woody, somewhat tree-like appearance while the varietal appellation recognizes its discoverer, Thomas Drummond.
Drummond (1780-1835) was not the first botanist to explore Texas, but was the first whose collections were widely distributed throughout the scientific institutions of the world, inspiring the later work of Ferdinand Jacob Lindheimer, the “Father of Texas botany.” Drummond might have held that title himself had he not died in Cuba before he could return to explore all of the regions of Texas. During his almost two years of collecting in Texas between Galveston and the Edwards Plateau, along the Brazos, Colorado, and Guadalupe rivers, he documented 750 plant species.
The Texas mallow is typically found in shade at the edges of woods near rivers or streams and moist areas. Along the Gulf Coast, in locations where frost is rarely seen, it is evergreen and blooms throughout the year. It has been cultivated and can be found north of its native range, but it goes dormant in the winter, and stops blooming with the first frost of late autumn or early winter. It prefers full, partial, or dappled shade to full sun, but can survive the heat of Texas summers. It can tolerate a wide range of soils, from sandy, loam or clay, to limestone and alkaline soils. It will develop root rot if the soil is not well drained.
Blooms begin to appear as the weather becomes warmer, generally in late April to early May. With flowers comes nectar, and then the nectar feeders are attracted to the Texas mallow. Ruby Throated Hummingbirds are often mentioned, as they are about as iconic as the Texas Bluebonnet or the Monarch butterfly when referring to a single species representing an entire class. Butterflies, moths, and other insects with an affinity for sweet nectar are attracted to the Texas mallow as well. Two butterfly species, the Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor). and the Southern Dogface (Zerene cesonia), are known to frequent this and other plants sporting bright red flowers. In addition, three other butterfly species have evolved with Texas mallow so that their larvae feed on it – the Turk’s Cap White Skipper (Heliopetes macaira), the Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon istapa), and the Glassy-winged Skipper (Xenophanes tryxus ). Although not usually present in large enough numbers to cause much damage in a native plant wildlife garden, grasshoppers can also be found nibbling on the leaves or stems of these plants.
Since the plant continues to bloom from its onset in May or June to the first freeze, usually around November, it provides a steady stream of nectar and foliage to a diversity of wildlife for at least seven months of the year, and throughout the year in the southern parts of its range. Then, around August, the first fruits will begin to appear, offering fleshy seed containers for consumption and dispersal by birds and small mammals. In areas where there are no frosts we assume that the plant is evergreen and provides blooms and nectar throughout the year, so that its worldwide population is fairly secure, although conservation efforts may be needed to preserve butterfly populations which depend on this species and variety for survival.
Texas mallow is an attractor for hummingbirds and butterfly species, a value for gardeners and others who enjoy experiences involving the natural world. In areas of human population growth where the demand for water has resulted in shortages and drought conditions, the Texas mallow provides a part of the solution in its role as a garden plant that requires little water. For gardeners with limited time in which to pursue their hobby, it offers the feature of low maintenance; many gardeners trim this shrub but once a year, usually around mid-February, when the old growth which has been killed by frost is cut back to about one foot in length. For those with shaded areas, it offers a solution to the need to make efficient use of space and to include trophic layers within the environment, and for those with large shaded areas under trees, Texas mallow offers an easy solution to a difficult situation.
Beyond esthetics and politics, the Texas mallow has worth in other areas of human endeavor which are not currently being fully used. For instance, medicinal uses of the plant are in general quite limited as part of the historical record, and not actively part of mainstream medicine in the United States. Although all parts of the plant seem to be edible and non-toxic, in general, little is found to indicate an assimilation into the modern kitchen. Several sources note that the fruit is reported to be edible, or that a tea can be made from the dried flower petals. Aside from references to childhood memories of sucking nectar from the flowers, and occasional mentions in survival or foraging guides, I found few instances of recipes, with the exception of Delena Tull’s recipe for “Turk’s Cap Jelly.” Clearly, the value of this native plant has yet to be fully explored and appreciated. The sooner there is a Texas mallow outside of every kitchen window in Texas, the better.
References:
Ajilvsgi, Geyata. Butterfly gardening for Texas. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2013.
Correll, D. S. and M. C. Johnston. 1979. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas. The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson.
Diggs, George M., et al. Shinners & Mahler’s illustrated flora of north central Texas. Fort Worth, TX: Botanical Research Institute of Texas, 1999.
Enquist, Marshall. Wildflowers of the Texas hill country. Austin, TX: Lone Star Botanical, 1987.
Loughmiller, Campbell, Lynn Loughmiller, and Damon E. Waitt. Texas wildflowers: a field guide. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2006.
Miller, George O. Landscaping with native plants of Texas and the southwest. Stillwater, MN., U.S.A: Voyageur Press, 1991.
Miller, George O. Landscaping with native plants of Texas. St. Paul, MN: Voyageur Press, 2006.
Nieland, LaShara J., and Willa F. Finley. Lone star wildflowers: a guide to Texas flowering plants. Lubbock, TX: Texas Tech University Press, 2009.
Nokes, Jill. How to grow native plants of Texas and the Southwest. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2001.
Tull, Delena, Michael Earney, and George O. Miller. Edible and useful plants of the Southwest: Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona : including recipes, teas and spices, natural dyes, medicinal uses, poisonous plants, fibers, basketry, and industrial uses. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2013.
Wasowski, Sally, and Andy Wasowski. Native Texas plants: landscaping region by region. Lanham, Md: Lone Star Books, 2002.
Internet locations:
Foraging Texas website. http://www.foragingtexas.com/2008/08/turks-cap.html.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Native Plant Information Network. http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MAARD
USDA Plants Database. http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=MAARD
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