Get It Growing: Turk's cap is resilient as well as beautiful

If you asked LSU AgCenter horticulturist Jason Stagg to pick a favorite plant, he probably wouldn’t be able to choose just one. But there’s a good chance Turk’s cap would be near the top of his list.
This plant has a lot going for it. It’s a long-lived, root-hardy perennial shrub that is native to Louisiana. It produces unique, nectar-rich flowers every summer and fall — a boon to pollinators. And it is easy to grow, with little required in the way of maintenance.
“If you’re looking for a perennial powerhouse for your garden, you’d be hard pressed to find anything better than Turk’s cap,” Stagg said.
Turk’s cap (Malvaviscus drummondii) belongs to the Malvaceae, or hibiscus, plant family.
Like its relatives, it bears dark green, heart-shaped leaves and colorful — often bright red — blooms that feature prominent stamens.
What’s unique about Turk’s cap is its flower petals never completely unfurl, staying twisted in a spiral that resembles a traditional Turkish turban.
Blooms, which tend to be about an inch long, first show up in May and June then ramp up in the summer.
New flowers appear on the plant regularly through fall, all the way up until first frost.
That extended bloom season makes it a valuable food source for pollinators as warm-season flowering plants begin to decline.
“It’s such an important nectar source for migrating hummingbirds and for butterflies and other pollinators,” Stagg said.
Hummingbirds, in particular, are attracted to the tubular shape of Turk’s cap flowers and the red color of many varieties and cultivars.
One of Stagg’s favorite Turk’s cap selections is Big Momma, which has 2-to-3-inch blooms in a blazing red.
This hybrid, developed in Texas by Greg Grant, combines the cold hardiness of our native Turk’s cap species with the larger flowers of a tropical species called Malvaviscus penduliflorus.
In south Louisiana, Big Momma can reach 6 feet tall or more in a growing season. It won’t get quite as tall in northern parishes.
Some of Stagg’s other favorite cultivars include Pam Puryear’s Pink, which is a light, almost peachy pink, and white-flowering White Lightning.
Native Turk’s cap and hybrids die back in winter (dead stems can be cut back to the ground) and reliably return each spring.
Turk’s cap has few disease or insect pest problems. It can tolerate various soil conditions but prefers moist, slightly acidic soil.
“These plants are very adaptable, but you’re going to get your best performance in full sun,” Stagg said. “They can even take part sun to some part shade. You just won’t have quite as intense of a bloom.”
A common passalong plant, Turk’s cap can be divided and planted in the cooler months of fall and spring in Louisiana.
“I think it’s one of the best perennials you can plant in your garden,” Stagg said.