Discovery of Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii, Turks Cap
In 1833, Thomas Drummond, a naturalist from Scotland, crossed the ocean to collect specimens for Sir William Jackson Hooker, founder of Kew Garden, London, UK. He collected 3000 plants for botanical exploration, among those plants some came from Texas. Surveying along the Brazos, Colorado and Guadalupe Rivers from Galveston to the Edwards Plateau he is the reason Turks Cap was labeled. His findings were distributed for study, museum documentation and other scientific mentions in institutions around the world. His study lead us to the naturalization of Turks Cap in Texas along the gulf coast. It is native to Texas, Central America, Mexico and as far as Peru. Growing in a variety of loams; rocky, sandy or a manicured cottage garden. It is documented in gardens in the “Old Florida”, as a perennial. In 2011 it was labeled a Texas superstar for its resilience and adaptability.
It is in the Mallow family included with the hibiscus, okra, cotton and hollyhocks to name a few.
Today we can think of it as a perennial anywhere south of the Red River, Texas northern border. It’s a pollinator magnet for hummingbirds and a butterfly host plant for the white skipper butterfly and glassy winged skipper butterfly. In fact, in my garden the hummingbirds are just as territorial, protecting it and seen at it more than the sugar water I place for them during their migration. They are able to perch on the stems and due to the color of plant and hummingbird, can be disguised when amongst the plant.
In past times, Turks cap was used for medicinal purposes. It has a fruit, called the Mexican Apple that is edible, as are its leaves. The flower can be dried and used in tea - I have not tried it so be careful if you try it. The flower is a beautiful warm red, with a tight overlap twist of the petals, with a partial opening for the stigma. Useful for a hummingbird seeking nectar, there is a small channel in the center of the swirl.
I love this plant in my garden, it has great blooms in the heat of summer, and nurtures all those hummingbirds that are migrating through in my, Texas fall. I have it towards the back of my border and it is about 6 feet in length.
The colors I’ve used to create my illustration is:
Leaf -French ultramarine, lemon yellow and
Flower - Sennelier Red (Warm) Q. Red (Cool) mixed with Ly or Red Orange or Winsor Violet
Stem - French Ultramarine with LY
Stigma Gouache - Ly and P Yellow Deep and Burnt Sienna mixed in, (Holbein)
Keep creating for a better day!
Turks Cap with resting Hummingbird, 16×20”, Watercolor