Common Name:

General Information

Malvaviscus arboreus is a deciduous shrub or a small tree that usually grows 1 - 5 metres tall, occasionally reaching 10 metres. It is usually about as wide as it is tall. The plant often produces suckers and also spreads by self-layering, it can form dense thickets[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine, food and source of materials. Grown as an ornamental in gardens, it is a rather handsome plant when in full flower because of its showy, bright red corollas, but the flowers usually are not produced in great abundance.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Northern S. America - northern Colombia, through Central America to central Mexico; Caribbean - Trinidad, Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Cuba, Bahamas

Habitat

Wet to dry thickets or forest, often in roadside hedges or in waste ground; at elevations up to 2,500 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Hummingbirds
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Malvaviscus arboreus is found from the subtropical to the tropical zones of central America and Mexico, where it can grow at elevations up to 2,500 metres. It is not very cold-hardy, tolerating occasional light frosts with temperatures falling to around -1°c. It prefers a climate with a mean annual temperatutre within the range 12 - 25°c, and a mean annual rainfall of 1,000 - 3,500mm[].
Grows and flowers best in full sun, preferring a well-drained, sandy soil[]. Plants also grow well in partial shade, but flowering is reduced[].
Malvaviscus arboreus is a widely grown garden ornamental, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. A fast-growing shrub, with the potential to grow forming dense patches, it has escaped from cultivation and become naturalized outside its native range principally in open, disturbed areas. It is now quite widespread and is becoming common in coastal areas, old gardens, roadsides, waste grounds and secondary forests[]. It is considered to be invasive in New Zealand[].
The plant can flower and produce fruit all year round in tropical areas[].

Edible Uses

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

Medicinal

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[].

Propagation

Seed -
Cuttings generally rot well.
Layering

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