Malvaviscus arboreus

Cavanilles

Manzanito, Wax mallow

MalvaceaeFruitFlowers

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit, Flowers

Fruit - raw. Juicy and somewhat mucilaginous, they are often eaten by children but adults find them mawkish in flavour and not very appetizing.

Where to Find It

A tropical plant. In Central America it grows from sea level to 2,000 m altitude. It suits hardiness zones 8-12. Geelong Botanical Gardens. Wittunga Botanical Gardens. In Yunnan.

Antilles, Asia, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Caribbean, Central America*, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Fiji, Himalayas, Indonesia, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, North America*, Pacific, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, SE Asia, Slovenia, South America, USA, Vietnam, West Indies,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Antigua & Barbuda, Armenia, Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bolivia, Brazil, Bahamas, Bhutan, Belize, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Fiji, Micronesia, Grenada, Georgia, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Haiti, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jamaica, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Kiribati, St Kitts & Nevis, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, St Lucia, Sri Lanka, Marshall Islands, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Mexico, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Nepal, Nauru, New Zealand, Oman, Panama, Peru, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Palau, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Singapore, Slovenia, Suriname, El Salvador, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tonga, Turkey, Trinidad & Tobago, Tuvalu, Taiwan, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, St Vincent, Venezuela, Vietnam, Vanuatu, Samoa, Yemen

How to Identify

A small shrub. It grows about 2-4 m high. The leaves are long or heart shaped and velvety. They are 5-12 cm long. The leaves can have 3 lobes. The flowers are long and tapering. They face upwards. The fruit are small red berries.

How to Grow

Plants can be grown from cuttings.

Propagation: Seed - Cuttings generally rot well. Layering

Medicinal Uses

A liniment made from the base of the plant is used for dressing burns. The flowers and leaves are emollient. A decoction of the flowers is used in the treatment of bronchitis, fevers, inflammation of the digestive tract, and in popular practice as an emmenagogue. A decoction of the flowers is used as a gargle to treat sore throats. A decoction of the leaves is used for the treatment of cystitis, diarrhoea, gastritis, and sore throat.

Other Uses

A decoction or infusion of the leaves is applied to the hair in order to make it soft and lustrous. The bark contains a tough fibre.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Malvaviscus arboreus is a species of flowering plant in the hibiscus family, Malvaceae, that is native to the American South, Mexico, Central America, and South America. The specific name, arboreus, refers to the tree-like appearance of a mature plant. It is now popular in cultivation and goes by many English names including wax mallow, Turk's cap (mallow), Turk's turban, sleeping hibiscus, manzanilla, manzanita (de pollo), ladies teardrop and Scotchman's purse; many of these common names refer to other, in some cases unrelated, plants. Its flowers do not open fully and help attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

Notes

There are 3-6 Malvaviscus species. They occur in tropical America.

Names & Synonyms

Amapola, Amapolita, Arito blanco, Arito, Bejuquillo, Bup gian-xay, Catapachat, Chinese pinyin, Flor de arito, Flor de santo, Gagapache, Gkrum guada, Khursani phul, Manzana, Manzano, Monacillo, Obelisco, Ok-htok-pan, Quesillo, Quesito, Tripa de buey, Tulipancillo

Hibiscus malvaviscus Linn.

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