Malvavisus arboreus – Manzanilla

You might know this plant by the common name associated with its flower – Turks Cap.  Today we see its edible fruit, with its obvious resemblance to a small apple, hence the common names Manzanilla and Mexican Apple.  Manzanas of course, is Spanish for apples, and Manzanilla literally meaning “little apple” in translation.

The fruit is edible – I went back to look for this one a few days later and couldn’t find it. I assume it was eaten by a critter of some sort.

This illustrates some of the disadvantages of using common names for describing plants as well as some of the advantages of native plants in landscaping. The Malvaviscus arboreus provides nectar to hummingbirds and butterflies and other wildlife during its flowering stage, and fruit for wildlife after the bloom has gone. Having evolved in common with its habitat, it provides services to other living things that share that habitat.  It’s deciduous, so it sheds its leaves which decompose into compost, enriching the soil if given the chance.

Malvaviscus arboreus – Turks Cap

It makes a good alternative to the exotic or alien Nandina which is ubiquitous in the nursery trade and has aggressively escaped into nature. Generally, folks advise cutting the dead wood back to about 1 foot somewhere around mid-February, but anytime after it drops its leaves is fine and should keep HOAs from finding fault with your native plantings.

It is shade tolerant as well as drought resistant, and also comes in a white-flowered variation.