Flower profile
Turk's cap
Malvaviscus arboreus
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–November.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
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.
- 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–November. iNaturalist
- In Louisiana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–December. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 19,758 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #16 among the 109 flowers on our Texas list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 453 research-grade sightings of it in Louisiana, ranking #79 among the 109 flowers on our Louisiana list. iNaturalist
Turk's cap gift ideas
Handmade turk's cap gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Turk's cap art print
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Turk's cap greeting card
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Turk's cap mug
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Turk's cap earrings
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Turk's cap embroidery pattern
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Turk's cap sticker
When does it bloom?
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?
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.
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.
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.
More Texas flowers
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.