– Profusion of red flowers two to
three times bigger than the species;
hummingbirds love it!
– Blooms mid-summer to early fall
– Great for poor soil and shady areas
Selected by Texas plantsman Greg Grant, this hybrid of our hardy little native species with the bigger flowers of Mexican Malvaviscus arboreus has the best of both worlds: good frost tolerance and big flowers. Grant liked it so much he named it after his great grandmother and used this plant as a parent for his other cultivars, including Pam’s Pink! This native hibiscus relative looks beautiful in any amount of light, any kind of soil, any amount of drought, and even tolerates seasonal flooding and poor drainage. Hummingbirds especially love the giant red flowers, and you can even eat the little fruits, which taste like tiny apples (earning the plant one of its many common names, Manzanita or Mexican Apple). Bonus fun fact: Grant was our nursery manager Nathan’s mentor, and he’s seen the original Big Momma Turk’s Cap in real life!
Light: Full sun to full shade
Height: 5′ – 8′
Width: 5′ – 8′
Hardiness Zone: 7
