Wax Mallow
Malvaviscus arboreus
- Native to:
- Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guam, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panamá, Peru, Trinidad-Tobago, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands
Kurt Stüber [1] (www.kurtstueber.de)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Malvaceae
- Genus:
- Malvaviscus
- Species:
- Malvaviscus arboreus
- USDA Symbol:
- MAAR14
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Shrub , Subshrub
- Height:
- 300 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- mar,apr,may,jun,jul,aug,sep,oct,nov
- Bloom Colors:
- red
- Landscaping Shrub:
- Yes
Wildlife Benefits
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★★☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Bagisara brouana, cotton tipworm (Crocidosema plebejana), Io moth (Automeris io), Meskea dyspteraria, straight lined mallow moth (Bagisara rectifascia), Yellow scallop moth (Anomis erosa), Xenophanes tryxus
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: American bumble (Bombus pensylvanicus), Xylocopa strandi Hummingbirds: Calliope Hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope) Butterflies:Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae), Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), Julia butterfly (Dione vanillae), ⚠️Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- hummingbirds, butterflies
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously from roots after fire or freeze damage.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers organic matter-rich soils
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 14–30 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate readily with warmth; softwood cuttings root easily and are the preferred propagation method.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI