Flower profile

Turk's cap

Malvaviscus arboreus

Turk's cap (Malvaviscus arboreus) is a shrub in the Malvaceae family, introduced in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–October across the U.S.

Introduced in the lower 48

Turk's cap is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–October.

10states where USDA records it

2Bloomipedia state lists include it

21,422U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Louisiana, Texas

Quick look

Malvaviscus arboreus is a species of flowering plant in the hibiscus family, Malvaceae, that is native to the American South, Mexico, Central America, and South America. The specific name, arboreus, refers to the tree-like appearance of a mature plant.
From Wikipedia's article Malvaviscus arboreus, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Malvaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 10 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Texas and Louisiana. ^NatureServe
In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–October. ^iNaturalist
In Louisiana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 19,758 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #16 among the 169 flowers on our Texas list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 453 research-grade sightings of it in Louisiana, ranking #83 among the 154 flowers on our Louisiana list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (3,509 records)

Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Texas	Native	April–October	19,758
Louisiana	Native	April–May	453

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. ^NatureServe
Texas: Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Texas. ^{31 TAC 69.8}
Louisiana: No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Louisiana.
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records turk's cap in 10 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas.

Texas counties with USDA records: Angelina, Aransas, Austin, Bastrop, Bell, Brazoria, Brazos, Brown, Burleson, Calhoun, Cameron, Colorado, Comal, Denton, Fayette, Galveston, Goliad, Gonzales, Grimes, Harris, Hays, Henderson, Jefferson, Karnes, Kenedy, Lavaca, Limestone, McLennan, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Robertson, San Patricio, Travis, Tyler, Uvalde, Victoria, Walker, Waller, Washington, Wharton, Wilson.

Louisiana counties with USDA records: Acadia, Allen, Bienville, Caddo, Calcasieu, Cameron, Catahoula, Claiborne, East Baton Rouge, Evangeline, Franklin, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lincoln, Morehouse, Orleans, Ouachita, Pointe Coupee, Richland, Sabine, St. Charles, St. Tammany, Tensas, Union, Washington, West Carroll, West Feliciana, Winn.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Hawaii: Introduced; Lower 48 states: Introduced; Lower 48 states: Native; Pacific Basin (excluding Hawaii): Introduced; Puerto Rico: Introduced; U.S. Virgin Islands: Introduced.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 85 counties across 10 states; the most are in Texas (41), Louisiana (28), Florida (8).

More from the Malvaceae family (29 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common hibiscus, Swamp rose mallow, Velvetleaf, Dwarf mallow, Apricot globemallow, Checkerbloom, Scarlet globemallow, Bristly mallow.

More Texas flowers

Three-lobe false mallow

Malvastrum coromandelianum

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in TX: April–October

Tropical hibiscus

Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis

🌷 Flowering shrub

🌷 Grown in Texas gardens

Pinkladies

Oenothera speciosa

Native

🌼 Blooms in TX: March–May

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile MAAR14.
iNaturalist, Malvaviscus arboreus: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Malvaviscus arboreus (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Texas: Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
Texas: Texas noxious and invasive plant list (4 Tex. Admin. Code § 19.300(a)).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Malvaviscus arboreus (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Jody Shugart via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.