Turks Cap, White

One o f Texas best loved and most used flowering ornamentals hails from a variety of habitats: sandy low grounds near streams, limestone slopes around wooded creeks and even palm groves provide fertile ground for turks cap. It ranges from the Texas Coastal Plain, east to Florida and also to the West Indies, Mexico and Cuba. In the Valley it is evergreen, flowering year round, but farther north it will die to the ground as a herbaceous perennial in colder climates where it grows to a maximum of 4 by 4 feet. In its native habitat turks cap is fairly large and coarse, having upright or somewhat reclining stems bearing 4- to 6-inch-diameter tomentose, dull green leaves. Its vermillion red flowers are twisted into a tube showing extended red stamens protruding from the whorl. Although drought tolerant as far west as Midland, turks cap also tolerates Houstons gumbo, and is especially welcome in shady sites. Oddly, in full sun it may get mildew which crinkles the leaves. There is a white flowered form and a variegated leaf, red blooming form. The combination of the red and white plants together provide an interesting shady accent. In North Central Texas black clay, a well-established turks cap is exceedingly difficult to dig up due to its very tough, dense and deep roots. Its leaves have been used as an emmolient and in Mexico the flowers are used in a decoction to treat inflammation of the digestive tract and as a menstrual aid. The marble-size red fruit is edible, having a mealy taste, and is enjoyed by a number of birds and animals. The flowers provide nectar to eager ruby-throated hummingbirds and several species of butterflies. Livestock occasionally browse the leaves. Malvaviscus is from a Greek word meaning "sticky mallow".