perennial
Turk's cap
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Hardy in zones 8–10, Turk's cap is a fast-growing perennial. It grows 3–5 ft tall and 3–5 ft wide, so plant it 3.5 ft apart. Give it full sun to shade and little water once established. It flowers red in May to November. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the filler role: a flowering plant that fills the middle or front of the bed. It is native to Texas and the South-Central states and Florida and the Gulf. Deer usually leave it alone, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Desert Southwest, the Pacific Northwest and the Mountain West, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
- Plant type
- Perennial, herbaceous
- Hardiness zones
- 8 to 10
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours); Part shade (2–4 hours); Shade (under 2 hours)
- Water
- Low
- Soil
- Adapts to clay, limestone and sand.
- Mature size
- 3–5 ft tall × 3–5 ft wide
- Spacing
- 3.5 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Bloom
- May–Nov · red
- Roles in a bed
- Filler
- Styles
- natural, low water, cottage
- Deer resistance
- High: deer rarely eat it
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Not on the ASPCA toxic list; flowers and fruit are eaten by people.
- Native to
- South-Central and Florida/Gulf
- Pot size and price
- 1-gallon pot, typically $12–$22 (easy to find)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water weekly through the first summer until roots establish, then only during long dry spells.
- Pruning
- Cut to the ground in late winter.
Sources: ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List (from general knowledge; not re-checked unless verification is web-checked); Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder and grower tags; State extension service guidance and USDA PLANTS distribution maps; Rutgers NJAES Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance; Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States and state noxious weed lists; Typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box retail listings (estimate). Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Guides that include this plant
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Turk's cap, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Dwarf yaupon holly 'Nana'Ilex vomitoria 'Nana'shrub · zones 7–10
- Virginia sweetspire 'Little Henry'Itea virginica 'Sprich'shrub · zones 5–9
- Texas sedgeCarex texensisornamental grass · zones 7–9
- Variegated lilyturf 'Variegata'Liriope muscari 'Variegata'perennial · zones 6–10
- Mexican bush sageSalvia leucanthaperennial · zones 8–11
- Pink muhly grassMuhlenbergia capillarisornamental grass · zones 6–11
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Turk's cap: same role in the bed, passing the same rules. Some of them are flagged toxic to dogs or cats: check the pet note before you swap.
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants