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Native Plant Society of Texas

Turk's Cap

Malvaviscus arboreus

Other common name(s):

Wax Mallow, Bleeding Hearts, Mexican Apple, Manzanita

Family:

Malvaceae (Mallow Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

This map uses data from the US EPA. EPA  servers have been offline frequently so maps may not display. We are working on a solution.

East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands
Coastal Sand Plain, Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Laguna Madre Barrier Island and Coastal Marshes, Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Mid-Coast Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Shrub

Height

2
to
6
ft.

Spread

3
to
5
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Clay, Dry, Limestone, Moist, Sand, Well Drained

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade, Shade

Water Requirement

Low, Medium

Native Habitat

Disturbed Areas, Riparian, Woodland Edge

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Red

Bloom Season

Summer, Fall

Seasonal Interest

Fruit, Larval Host, Nectar, Pollen

Wildlife Benefit

Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Moths, Small Mammals

Maintenance

Drought tolerant and grows in a variety of dry to moist soils. Although popular as a shade plant, NPSOT members have reported it growing in full sun with no supplemental water. Forms colonies, but easy to contain by pulling. Native habitat: woodland edges along streams and wooded limestone slopes and ledges, understory shrub in coastal Texas, open areas, streambanks, disturbed area.

Description

Blooms June-November. Tall, upright form. Leaves are downy-green, heart-shaped to 3-lobed, with broad toothed margins. Bright-red, hibiscus-like flowers never fully open, their petals overlapping to form a loose tube with the stamen protruding – said to resemble a Turkish turban. The fruit is a chambered berry. Larval host: White Skipper.

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 48, 53. 3) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg. 251. 4) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MAARD. 5) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=28151&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 6) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=21843#null, 7) Native and Adapted Landscape Plants, City of Austin and Texas A&M, 2014., 8) https://rootedin.com/tough-texas-native-plants-for-shade-creating-a-cool-haven-before-the-heat/, 9) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malvaviscus_arboreus#:~:text=Texas%20and%20Louisiana.-,Habitat%20and%20ecology,M., 10) https://txmg.org/aransas/turks-cap-my-favorite-native/#:~:text=Turk's%20Cap%20has%20a%20sweet,plant's%20leaves%2C%20flowers%20and%20fruit., 11) https://www.ensembletexas.com/turks-cap-malvaviscus-drummondii/#:~:text=of%20the%20flowers.-,Source:%20iNaturalist,Place%20To%20Plant%20Turk's%20Cap?, 12) https://seedsource.com/turks-cap/ 13) https://www.greauxnative.org/post/native-plant-of-the-monthmalvaviscus-arboreus-var-drummondii-turk-s-cap-september-2022 14) https://fsus.ncbg.unc.edu/show-taxon-detail.php?taxonid=3897

Learn about how to propagate Texas native plants.

Material Treatment Method Collection References
Seed No Treatment Turk's Cap will germinate promptly from fresh, untreated seeds planted outside after danger of frost is past. Germination of Turk's Cap is inhibited by cold temperatures. Cover the seeds no deeper than 1/4 - 1/2 inches. Allow to dry whole and then crush the desiccated fruit with a rolling pin. https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MAARD#:~:text=Propagation%20Material:%20Root%20Division%20%2C%20Seeds,inches%20after%20the%20last%20frost.
Stem Cutting The cuttings should be 4 to 6 inches long with leaves from the bottom halves removed, Dip the cut end in rooting hormone, and plant it in a well-draining soil mix. Keep the soil moist and place the cutting in a warm, bright location until roots develop. Take cuttings in the spring or early summer. 1) https://earthone.io/plant/malvaviscus%20arboreus 2) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MAARD#:~:text=Propagation%20Material:%20Root%20Division%20%2C%20Seeds,inches%20after%20the%20last%20frost.
Clump Division Large clumps of Turk's Cap may easily be separated in early spring and transplanted to a new site. Be sure to water well. https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MAARD#:~:text=Propagation%20Material:%20Root%20Division%20%2C%20Seeds,inches%20after%20the%20last%20frost.

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason