Turk's Turban is also known as Star Flower or Tubeflower. The plant is a semiwoody shrub or returning perennial that reaches heights of 6 to 9 feet. It is slightly, if at all, branched. The stem is hollow. Its preferred habitat is disturbed sites and along road shoulders. Distribution is occasional in the Escambia region. The leaves are large, 6 to 8 inches long, elliptic, borne in whorls of four on very short leaf stalks. The mid-rib and veins are prominent.

The flower clusters are large, consisting of many tubular white or red flowers that arise at the tip of the flowering stem. Each cluster may be up to 2 feet long. The tubes of the flowers are about 3 to 4 inches long and droop downward. The expanded corollas are about 2 inches in diameter. Flowers occur in summer and early autumn.

The fruit is a drupe that rests at the tube throat. Each fruit is about ½ inch in diameter, maturing in late autumn and early winter.

The plant is native to Malaysia and is widely cultivated as an ornamental. Some species of the plant have become naturalized in South America, the West Indies and much of the southern U.S.