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Malvaviscus penduliflorus
Mazapan
Turkscap Mallow
Sleeping Hibiscus
Not native to Florida
This popular landscape plant is an introduced species that is now found throughout most of the central and southern penninsula of Florida, plus Franklin County in the panhandle. Native to an area from Mexico to Brazil, it is an exotic in Florida, Texas, Hawaii and Puerto RIco.
A relative of the hibiscus, the bloom is similar, except that the petals of the drooping flowers remain closed and overlapping in a spiral. There are two species of Malvaviscus in Florida, both exotic. The undersides of the leaves of M. penduliflorus are glabrate, while the underside of the leaves on M. arboreus are pubescent.
Malvaviscus penduliflorus is a member of the Malvaceae - Mallow family.
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (Institute for Systemic Botany) profile for this species
USDA Plant Profile for this species
Date record last modified: Feb 04, 2022
