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GENERAL
Origin
:
sub-tropical,
tropical
Vigour
:
fairly fast
growing
Humidity
:
very humid,
extremely humid
Propagation :
cuttings, sowing
and pricking out,
layer
Maintenance :
moderate
CONDITIONS
Dessication :
vulnerable
Stagnant water :
vulnerable
Irrigation
:
high
Salinity/ppm :
moderate (1800
ppm)
Hardiness
:
+3°C
SHAPE
Type
:
shrub
Height
:
2 m-4.5 m
Spread
:
2 m-4 m
Foliage
:
evergreen
FLOWER
Colour
:
red
Size
:
3 cm - 5 cm
Period
:
April - October
FRUIT
Type of fruit :
schizocarp
Fruit size
:
0.8 cm
Toxicity
:
inedible
Known as Wax Mallow or Turk’s Cap, this shrub spread from Central America across all warm
climates, and is grown in containers where winters are cold. It grows at moderate speed to form
a round shrub some 2 metres across, eventually reaching double this size if conditions are ideal.
Wax Mallows resemble low Chinese Hibiscus, except for their flowers that seem to remain closed,
giving them the other common name Sleeping Hibiscus. The protruding carpel is cloaked by
bright red petals forming tubular flowers from spring until late autumn. Seeds develop in incons-
picuous capsules and may be used for propagation. Much more common are softwood cuttings
to multiply the shrub. The evergreen leaves are trilobed with a serrate margin. Usually bright
green, they immediately indicate malnutrition such as alkaline soil by turning yellow. Fertile,
well-drained soil with frequent irrigation allows locations in full sun, but this shrub also thrives
in partial shade. It takes pruning to achieve a neat appearance and readily regenerates after severe
cutting back. Pinching the branches during the growing season encourages compact growth and
the production of flowers. Low temperatures are tolerated without any damage. Wax Mallows
are reliable shrubs in small gardens and pedestrian precincts, and are often seen in Arriyadh in
mixed shrub borders. They may grow in groups or as a flowering hedge in open ground or in
containers. Copious amounts of flowers are produced, but also litter, demanding an appropriate
location or frequent cleaning.
198
Malvaviscus arboreus,
Malvaceae
Wax Mallow,
Turk’s Cap