Malvaviscus arboreus
Malvaviscus arboreus
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
Malvaviscus arboreus is found from the subtropical to the tropical zones of central America and Mexico, where it can grow at elevations up to 2,500 metres. It is not very cold-hardy, tolerating occasional light frosts with temperatures falling to around -1°c. It prefers a climate with a mean annual temperatutre within the range 12 - 25°c, and a mean annual rainfall of 1,000 - 3,500mm[1]. Grows and flowers best in full sun, preferring a well-drained, sandy soil[1]. Plants also grow well in partial shade, but flowering is reduced[1]. Malvaviscus arboreus is a widely grown garden ornamental, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. A fast-growing shrub, with the potential to grow forming dense patches, it has escaped from cultivation and become naturalized outside its native range principally in open, disturbed areas. It is now quite widespread and is becoming common in coastal areas, old gardens, roadsides, waste grounds and secondary forests[1]. It is considered to be invasive in New Zealand[2]. The plant can flower and produce fruit all year round in tropical areas[1].
Propagation
Seed - Cuttings generally rot well. Layering Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Malvaviscus+arboreus>
Pollinators
Hummingbirds
References
- [1]Invasive Species Compendium — http://www.cabi.org ↩︎An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
- [2]Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk — http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html ↩︎A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
- [3]Flora of N. America — http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ ↩︎An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
- [4]Flora of Guatemala — Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark · 1946 - 1976 · http://www.archive.org/ ↩︎A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
- [5]Flora of Yucatan — Standley P.C. · Field Museum of Natural History; Chicago · 1930 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org ↩︎The first flora that was attempted for this area in 1930, so it is obviously lacking information and the Botanical names can be out of date. Still, an excellent work and it records many plant uses. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
- [6]Medicinal Plants of the Guianas — DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J. · Smithsonian Museum · http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html ↩︎A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region
- [7]Trees and Shrubs of Mexico — Standley P.C. · Smithsonian Institution; Washington · 1926 ↩︎Although dated, it contains a wealth of information on the trees and shrubs of Mexico, including many of their uses. It can be downloaded from the Internet.