So Much More Than Just A Pretty Flower

The bright red flowers of Turk's Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii) command attention as one walks by them along the trail, but there is so much more to this plant than just the attractive flower:

Turk's cap is a fairly common wildflower in the eastern Texas Hill Country, throughout southeast Texas and the southeastern United States. It is being increasingly recognized as a valuable native landscape plant.

This mallow grows exceptionally well in even relatively deep shade, but prefers partial sun and will tolerate full sun. It prefers moist soil, but is also surprisingly drought tolerant. Birds, especially hummingbirds, butterflies and other pollinator insects are drawn to the flowers.

The flowers, the young leaves and the ripe fruit are all edible by people. The flowers are frequently added to a green salad and other dishes for both color and a sweet accent. The young leaves can be cooked the same way any other green leafy vegetable is prepared. The ripe fruit is called manzanilla and, as the name implies, has an apple flavor. Manzanilla, meaning "little apple" in Spanish, is another common name for this plant.

This set of photographs was taken along the Yanaguana Nature Trail at Mission San Juan in the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park on Monday, October 28, 2013.