Turks cap plant or Malvaviscus arboreus belongs to the Malvaceae family and resembles a sleeping hibiscus. These plants are native to southeast and central America.
These plants are fondly called as Turk's turban, wax mallow, Scotchman purse, and ladies' teardrop. The petals never open fully and hence resemble a sleeping hibiscus. These plants are called as Turks caps or Turks turban as they feature the signs of a Turkish cap.
Studies state that the bloomed flowers survive for two days and are the main source of food for hummingbirds and butterflies. The nectar is usually present in a high amount on the first day and attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.
Blooming seasons - Turks cap Plant
The plants flower in full vigor from May to November. They produce abundant flowers and can be propagated from seeds or cuttings. They can quickly set to the soil and produce roots when propagated via cuttings.
Sunlight and Watering Requirements - Turks cap Plant
The Turks cap plants prefer full to medium sunlight. This flowering plant prefers abundant sunlight though it might survive in low-lit conditions. These plants can also be grown in pots.
They prefer regular watering and enough sunlight. You might be surprised to see my small Turks cap plant producing abundant flowers after propagation.
I wanted to try if the Turks cap plant can be propagated by cuttings. And to my surprise, all the three saplings I propagated grew well.
How to propagate Turks cap plant via cuttings
- Grab a few cuttings from the healthy branch.
- Score the hard layer at the bottom-most part of the cutting. This can help in the early formation of roots.
- Remove the matured leaves except for one to two new leaves. This will help the plant in growing the roots rather than exhausting the energy in providing nutrition to the leaves.
- To simulate the cuttings to root you can use a stimulating hormone or a mixture of honey and cinnamon. This is optional, in my case I did not use the rooting hormone.
If you don't want to take a chance you are always welcome to use a rooting hormone
- Dipping the cuttings in Tumeric can also prevent infections.
- Give your cuttings a greenhouse effect. If you don't have a greenhouse at your home. You can easily mimic this by covering the pot with a polyethylene cover and punching a few holes in it
- Keep the soil moist to maintain favorable conditions for the plant to root.
- Though Turks cap plants are drought resistant they need regular watering until they are stabilized.
You might be amazed to know that start blooming once they have accustomed themselves to the environment.
Also, feel free to check How to grow plants in small apartments
How to enhance flowering in Turks cap plant
- Turk's cap plants bloom in abundance if given proper sunlight. They can survive in low sunlight but they might not be able to produce more buds in the absence of sufficient sunlight. It is advisable to keep them in high to moderate light-receiving areas to enhance the growth of flowers.
- Turk's cap plants are drought resistant once stabilized. But they prefer regular watering to enhance the growth of flowers.
- If the above two conditions are met and still if your plants are not flowering mild trimming might be required.
Quick Guide for your reference
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