Download Turk`s cap (Malvaviscus arboreus) is a reliable flowering perennial

Turk’s cap (Malvaviscus arboreus) is a reliable flowering perennial with red, white or pink blooms.
Turk’s cap has sturdy roots that reach deep into the soil giving the plant a solid advantage in our dry and
often sandy soils. I once had to remove a twenty foot row of Turk’s cap. I wouldn’t do that twice!
The roots of Turk’s cap support a crown that is more than four feet wide and just as tall, thriving in both
full sun and some shade. The deciduous perennial is regularly used as shrub. I have seen it used in large
drifts or as a backdrop in many flowerbeds.
This wonderfully durable drought tolerant species is sometimes called bleeding heart because its
frequently drooping bloom resembles a heart seeping a single droplet of blood. Turk’s cap has a dozen
other common names and bleeding heart is also associated with several other species, which illustrates
the reason that horticulturists often prefer identifying plants by their scientific name.
Turk’s cap foliage is dull to dark green and there are varieties with fascinating variegated leaves. The
rough leaves reminds my lovely bride of a cat’s tongue with an almost sandpaper-like texture. You
might expect its four inch by four inch alternately arranged leaves to wilt easily in our intense heat but
this doesn’t happen often.
The pink blooming variety ‘Pam Puryear’ found its way onto the list of Texas Superstar plants in 2011,
performing superbly in a wide range of soil and moisture conditions. Mixing varieties of Turk’s cap with
different colors provides an interesting effect.
Turk’s cap has few pest problems but I’ve occasionally discovered whiteflies and scale insects on it
although rarely in destructive numbers. I’ve observed Turk’s cap performing well on sites irrigated with
marginal quality water.
You’ll want to plant Turk’s cap near a window if you enjoy watching hummingbirds and butterflies.
Wildlife regularly visit the striking blooms. Spring is the best time to plant Turk’s cap and also the most
likely time you’ll spot it in most nurseries.
To learn more about this wonderful water wise plant and many others, contact the county Extension
office at 432.686.4700 or drop me an email at [email protected].
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Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service provides private applicator training in the Ector County Extension
office located at 1010 East Eighth Street in Odessa. Training for those interested in obtaining their
certified private applicator license is by appointment only. Please call 432.498.4071 or send an email to
[email protected].
Thank You!
Jeff Floyd
County Extension Agent-Horticulture
Midland and Ector Counties
Office 432.498.4071
Fax 432.498.4044
The mission of Ector County is to provide quality public services to its citizens in a timely, efficient and
courteous manner. Ector County strives to accomplish this objective while maintaining fiscal
responsibility and governmental accountability to safeguard the public trust.
Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to people without regard to
race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status.
The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners
Courts of Texas Cooperating.