Family: Malvaceae
High Risk Traits:
- Broad climate suitability (cold temperate to tropical)
- History of repeated introductions outside native range
- Congeneric weeds exist
- Host for pests/pathogens (e.g., cotton weevil)
- Tolerates wide range of soil conditions (including coastal salt)
- Shade tolerant
- Hybridizes naturally (with H. rosa-sinensis)
- Tolerates mutilation/pruning and recovers quickly from freeze
Low Risk Traits:
- No evidence of naturalization or weediness
- No spines, thorns, or burrs
- Not allelopathic, parasitic, or toxic
- No evidence of vegetative fragmentation
- Requires specialist pollinators (bird pollination syndrome)
- No evidence of prolific seed production (often fails to set seed in cultivation)
- Propagules not adapted for wind, water, bird, or animal dispersal
- No evidence of seed bank persistence
