




Malvaviscus arboreus
Turk's cap is a beautiful flower that looks like a little red hat! It grows in warm places and attracts butterflies and hummingbirds, making gardens colorful and lively.
Habitat: Urban areas
The Turk's cap has vibrant, scarlet-red flowers that never fully open, resembling a miniature Turkish turban. Its crinkled petals stay tightly furled, making it visually distinct from its fully-blooming hibiscus relatives. Lush, dark green, somewhat lobed leaves provide a verdant backdrop.





Category
PlantsRarity
Common
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
4
Its scientific name, Malvaviscus, means 'sticky mallow', perhaps for its sap!
The bright red blooms are like a welcome sign, especially for busy hummingbirds!
Wow! Its flowers never fully open, always keeping their unique 'turban' shape!
You can sometimes find a tiny, ripe, apple-like fruit hidden within its unfurled flower!
Turk's cap has bright red, tubular flowers that perfectly fit hummingbird beaks, attracting them for pollination and ensuring its reproduction.
Turk's cap can thrive in dry, hot conditions thanks to its tough leaves and roots, helping it survive harsh environments.
Turk's cap has edible flowers and leaves, offering a nutritious food source for various animals and even humans.
Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground.
Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
A tube flower has petals fused together at the base, forming a distinct tubular structure that typically holds nectar deep within.
Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.
Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces.
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Always ask an adult before picking flowers and be gentle with plants.
The easiest way to identify Turk's cap is to use the Snappit nature identifier app.
100-300 cm
100-200 cm
2-5 cm
Summer to Fall
Yes
None
Perennial
Zoom in to split clusters and explore where this object has been snapped.
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