Learn how to garden for wildlife
Turk's Cap, a small, spreading shrub native to Texas, is in the mallow family. It's a drought- tolerant perennial that easily reproduces by seed and will bloom all winter if the weather is mild. Cousin to the hibiscus, it produces numerous bright red erect flowers, tubular in shape and containing very sweet nectar. It is a favorite food source for migrant hummingbirds and winter hummers in Victoria, as well as several butterfly species. Winter birds also enjoy its fruit.
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Turk's cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii) is a native Texas shrub - small, spreading, and drought-resistant - that grows in mottled shade under shrubs and trees in our backyard.
It "blooms its heart out," as Great-aunt Annie Lee would describe it.
We have the variety producing red blooms, another one producing white blooms, and a third one producing pink blooms. The blooms have a deep tubular shape and are regularly visited by both our resident hummingbirds and our migrating visitors.
We bought fewer than half a dozen plants, stuck them in the ground, and the rest is history. Now we have Turk's cap everywhere, without any special attention from us.
Turk's cap likes part shade for growing and blooming. It gets mildew when it gets too much sun. Some of ours grows under a large purple bauhinia (orchid tree), thriving in the part-shade it creates. There it's shorter but blooms reliably.
In our shadier areas, some still blooms as well, when it can grow tall enough - up through the branches shielding it from the sun - to get some sun. So, it blooms readily and reliably if it can get to its preferred part-shade conditions.
It's definitely a willing volunteer in our area. And our wildlife loves it.
Besides our hummers, sulphur butterflies, with their long proboscises, drink its concentrated nectar. Newly-arrived hummers and sulphurs waste little time locating it and enjoying the nectar it offers.
Plants like Turk's cap are among topics discussed, and are available for sale, at the upcoming Wildscape Workshop and Native Plant Sale sponsored by the Native Plant Society South Texas Chapter and the South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center in Corpus Christi. The workshop will be from 9:15 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 31 at the Botanical Gardens.
It focuses on varieties of native plants and adapted species, which not only will improve the beauty and quality of your landscape, but also will attract various birds, butterflies, and other critters, while lowering your water bill.
Taught by Native Plant Society members, topics include "Native Plants for Wildscape Habitats;" "Baby Steps to a Wildscape Habitat," featuring before and after pictures of organization members' landscapes; and "Ponds in Native Habitat Wildscapes."
Also, Judit Green, urban wildlife biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife, will talk about wildscapes - providing native habitats for wildlife and related topics.
Guided tours of the Botanical Gardens' Butterfly, Hummingbird, Tree and Wildscape Gardens, plus Bird and Butterfly Trail will be offered during the workshop.
Native plants, including some covered in the talks, will be for sale from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sale plants are available to workshop participants and garden visitors.
Workshop participants will receive a packet of information about the workshop's topics and related sources. And a list of reference books and sources of other materials about wildscaping will be available, as will information about natural products for use in a wildscape.
Lunch and snacks are included in the workshop fee, which is $15, $12.50 for Botanical Gardens members. Reserve your seat by calling the Botanical Gardens at 361-852-2100. The number of participants for the workshop is limited to 35 because of the size of the room.
Paul and Mary Meredith are master naturalists. Contact them at paulmary0211@sbcglobal.net.
