Turks cap (Malvaviscus arboreus), photographi

How to Grow Turks Cap

Malvaviscus arboreus · Zones 7-11

Turks Cap is a perennial grown for its blooms, which open in summer and return year after year. It's hardy across USDA zones 7 through 11, shrugs off deer and shrugs off dry spells. Its summer flowers are a real draw for hummingbirds and butterflies.

Turks Cap — the short answer

Turks Cap: grown in zones 7–11, full sun, pH 6–8.5.

USDA zones
7–11
Not verified
Soil pH
6–8.5
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Sun
Full Sun
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Frost-kill temp (growing season)
39.2°F
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.

Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.

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Score Turks Cap on your exact land.

Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether turks cap actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score turks cap against your land's real conditions.

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What Turks Cap is

Turks Cap grows as a perennial and reaches around six feet at maturity. It blooms in summer. It's also deer-resistant.

Life cycle, mature height, bloom period and deer resistance: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.

How to grow Turks Cap

Turks Cap grows in USDA zones 7 through 11. Turks Cap does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 6 to 8.5, on evenly moist to well-drained ground.

USDA Zones

7-11

Not verified

Soil pH

6 - 8.5

We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.

Sun

Full Sun

We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.

Drainage

poorly (saturated >50% of year), well (dry spells)

We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.

Frost Kill Temperature

39.2°F

Where cold starts killing growing tissue. Not a winter-survival floor — a dormant perennial takes far colder, which its hardiness zone answers.

We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.

Minimum Growing Temperature

50°F

Below this it stops growing rather than dies — a pace limit, not a survival limit.

We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.

Mature Height

6 ft

We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.

  1. Start the season right

    Plant turks cap in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun, once the soil has warmed and frost risk has passed. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.

  2. Match the soil

    Turks Cap prefers pH 6 to 8.5. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.

  3. Water while it roots in

    Water deeply while turks cap establishes, letting the soil dry between soakings; once its roots are in, it rides out dry spells on its own. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.

  4. Harvest at its peak

    Cut turks cap blooms in the cool of the morning, just as they open, for the longest display.

Where Turks Cap thrives

Turks Cap is hardy across USDA zones 7 through 11. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.

A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 7–11 spans average winter lows from 0°F to 50°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 7 outright and splits 34 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.

Zones 7–11 highlighted on the USDA national hardiness zone map

Zones 7–11·Where Turks Cap growsOpen map →

This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

Where Turks Cap stands, state by state

Turks Cap is rated for zones 7–11 — a cold floor USDA puts at 0 to 10°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 7 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 34 more, and 10 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.

Fully inside zones 7–11

7 states

3 of 7 shown

The line runs through

34 states

3 of 34 shown

Turks Cap’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.

Outside zones 7–11

10 states

3 of 10 shown

Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant often works in a container that comes under cover. Each link is that state’s own growing hub.

State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.

Good to know

Turks Cap is a standout pollinator plant — high value to bees and other pollinators. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.

Your land is one point inside Turks Cap's range

This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.

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See if Turks Cap will thrive on your land

Zone averages are a start. Your soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether turks cap actually takes. We score it against the mapped and modelled conditions at your address.

Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:

Your soil pHYour frost-free daysYour sun & shade

We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

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How we know this about Turks Cap

The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.

Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database

Frequently asked questions

Can I grow Turks Cap in my zone?

Turks Cap grows in USDA hardiness zones 7 through 11. Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.

When should you plant Turks Cap?

Most growers plant turks cap after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.

How much sun does Turks Cap need?

Turks Cap needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.

What soil does Turks Cap need?

Turks Cap prefers soil pH 6 to 8.5, on evenly moist to well-drained ground. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. Your report scores your parcel's mapped soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.

Does Turks Cap attract pollinators?

Yes — turks cap's flowers are a strong nectar and pollen source for hummingbirds and butterflies. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.