Plant of the Month: Turk’s Cap

Presented by Cheryl Barajas
September 11, 2023

Botanical name: Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
Common name(s): Turk’s Cap, Wax Mallow, Red Mallow, Texas Mallow, Mexican Apple, Sleeping Hibiscus, Bleeding Hearts, Manzanita
Family: Malvaceae

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[Cheryl] Hi! This is Cheryl. I’m going to be talking about Turk’s Cap tonight. This is one of the plants that has definitely lasted and done quite well this summer throughout the drought; still blooming and needs very little water.

The Turk’s Cap is also called a Wax Mallow, a Red Mallow, a Texas Mallow, or a Mexican Apple. Turk’s Cap is a deciduous spreading shrub and usually grows two to three feet but can grow up to 10 feet. It has bright red, pendant, hibiscus-like flowers that never fully open. Their petals overlap, somewhat resembling a Turkish turban, hence its most common name.

The variety name of this plant is named for Thomas Drummond, a naturalist from Scotland, who traveled throughout Texas. And his goal was to travel from one end of Texas to the other but, unfortunately, he passed away before he can finish his project.

Living conditions: Turk’s Cap can be planted in sandy, loamy, clay and limestone soils but it seems to grow best in moist, well-drained woodland soils. It is very heat and drought tolerant once established and is a Texas Native Superstar. It lives its best life in part shade to shade but can grow in full sun. In its native habitat it is most often found along streams, on edges of woods and on wooded limestone slopes and edges. It blooms from May to November, and ranges from the Texas Coastal Plain east to Florida and also to the West Indies, Mexico, and Cuba.

Propagation and care: Turk’s Cap is very easy to propagate by root division, seeds, or softwood cuttings. If you want to keep it at a desirable height and shape, you can prune back after a couple of years; it will bloom even when it’s cut short. It’s a magnet for hummingbirds, butterflies, moths, birds, and mammals.

In Mexico, its flowers have been used in a decoction to treat inflammation of the digestive tract and as a menstrual aid. The leaves can be used as an emollient. Young leaves can be steamed and eaten like spinach and I have not tried this yet. That’s on my list. The fruits can be eaten fresh, dried, or made into jelly and the flowers can be dried and made into tea. So, almost all of the plant can be used for one use or another.

Five reasons to grow Turk’s Cap: It provides reliable blooms from late spring through fall. It is one of the few plants that blooms prolifically in part shade. It grows well in a variety of sunlight conditions; however, it may get mildew in full sun. It provides food for pollinators and wildlife. And, it’s a butterfly host plant for Turk’s-cap White-skippers and Glassy-winged Skippers.

And that is all I have for Turk’s Cap! There are my references. Thank you!

[Helen] Thank you. My Turk’s Cap has done great this summer but it is in pretty heavy shade, so I guess that probably helped it out.

[Cheryl] Yeah and we’ll have a lot of Turk’s Cap for sale at the plant sale.

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