Wax Mallow
Malvaviscus arboreus
- Habit
- Shrub
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra & more
- Flowering
- Throughout the year
How to identify Wax Mallow
Identify Wax Mallow by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a shrub habit.
- Confirm flower colour: Red.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: Throughout the year.
- In India, compare location records such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Mizoram and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Malvaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Wax Mallow.
Plant Details
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Typical of the Malvaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Redrecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Solitary
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for Wax Mallow itself; the rest are typical of the Malvaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Bengali
- লঙ্কা জবা
- Malayalam
- മൊട്ടുചെമ്പരത്തി
About Wax Mallow
Wax Mallow (Malvaviscus arboreus) belongs to the Malvaceae family, where it grows as a shrub. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra and 2 other states. It flowers and fruits through much of the year.
Malvaceae
Mallow/Hibiscus family
Wax Mallow belongs to the Malvaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Malvaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
All plant problem & care guides