Malvaviscus arboreus
Wax mallow · also Turk's cap (mallow), Turk's turban, Sleeping hibiscus
Report an issue with this species
Malvaviscus arboreus is a flowering plant in the hibiscus family, native to the American South, Mexico, Central America, and South America. It produces red or pink flowers that do not fully open, attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. It is typically a shrub growing 1.5–4 meters tall, sometimes taking on a tree-like appearance.
Where it grows
Trees in each city's inventory, with the share of that city's named trees this species accounts for.
- 2090.01%——
- 30.00%—2.6 in
No city in this list records planting dates for this species, so age is blank throughout.
Traits
- Form
- Broadleaf
- Mature height
- 4.9–13.1 ft
- Wildlife value
- High
Trunk diameters across every city: median 2.6 in, mean 2.6 in, 90th percentile 3.0 in. Measured at breast height, as published by each inventory.
Native range
Terrestrial ecoregions where this species is native. Trees in the dataset mostly stand well outside it.
Tropical & Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
- Cayos Miskitos-San Andrés and Providencia moist forests
- Central American Atlantic moist forests
- Central American montane forests
- Cordillera La Costa montane forests
- Costa Rican seasonal moist forests
- Northwest Andean montane forests
- Trinidad and Tobago moist forest
Tropical & Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests
- Central American dry forests
- Trinidad and Tobago dry forest
Tropical & Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas & Shrublands
- Western Gulf coastal grasslands
Tropical & Subtropical Coniferous Forests
- Central American pine-oak forests