turk's cap
Turk's cap (Malvaviscus arboreus) looks good in the shade this time of year. I've been planting it as a forest understory kind of plant, along with coralberry and white avens.
It's small red flowers bloom through October on a plant that gets about three feet tall and about as wide. According to the literature they are pollinated by ruby-throated hummingbirds, but I've never seen any on it. Actually I have only seen the black-chinned hummingbirds locally anyway and never on this plant.
The broad dark leaves seem kind of tropical. They remind me of hibiscus to which turk's cap is related. The flower does too. Sort of like a hibiscus flower that doesn't ever open.
Posted by Bill Hopkins on July 16, 2003 06:39 PMComments
