This cottage garden favorite is easy to start from seed.
Planted once, mallow often reseeds itself for a continuous display of blooms year after year.
Individual flowers comprise five heart-shaped petals, many of which will feature darker veins.
Credit:Matthew Benson
The flowers appear from early summer until fall, as long asdeadheading takes place to encourage continued blooming.
Mallow’s large medium-green leaves make a coarsely textured background for its flowers and other nearby plants.
Some species are grown specifically for their flowers.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Other species are prized for their leaves.
Where to Plant Mallow
Mallow plants are attractive additions to beds, borders, and cottage gardens.
Planting mallow in full sun eliminates the need to stake the tall varieties.
Credit: Matthew Benson
It grows best in moist, well-drained soil conditions.
Sow the seeds 1/8 inch deep and thin the emerging seedlings to 3 feet apart.
Mallow plants grow well in ordinary soil as long as it is well-draining.
Credit: Ed Gohlich
In areas with mild winters, mallow seeds can also be sown in the fall.
Seed-starting indoors is not recommended because mallow doesn’t transplant well.
However, the results may be disappointing.
Credit: Richard Hirneisen
Mallow Care Tips
Light
Mallow requires full sun to be at its best.
It can tolerate a small amount of shade, but the bloom color may be subdued.
Some mallow plants can adjust to dry conditions, but most prefer a moist environment.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
For the amount to use, follow product package instructions.
Pests and Problems
Japanese beetlesconsider the foliage and flowers of this plant to be tasty treats.
Although not harmful to the plant, rust can make the plant look ugly.
Credit: Cynthia Haynes
Control rust by removing affected leaves early on and keeping foliage dry.
The latter promotes vigorous growth and reduces the need for staking.
Plant the seeds directly in the garden and keep the area moist until plants emerge.
The leaves also release a musky scent, especially when crushed.
Malva sylvestris
Malva sylvestrisis the most commonly found mallow.
These come in shades of pink and purple, often with darker veining of the blooms.
These cluster in the axils of dark green, lobed leaves on shrubby 3-foot stems.
It produces showy, unusual flower spikes with little tubular white, pink, or purple flowers.
They’reexcellent as cut flowers.
Square stems carry pairs of mid-green (sometimes variegated), lance-shaped foliage that is toothed along the edges.
Obedient plant tolerates most soils but tends to become aggressive when given ample water and full sun.
They tolerate light shade but not wet feet or drought.
Globe Thistle
Globe thistle is one of the mostelegantly colored plants around.
It has fantastical large blue balls of steel blue flowers in midsummer, which would be enough.
It also dries well.
It’s bothered by few pests or diseases.
If it likes its conditions, it will reseed fairly readily.
If you want to prevent this, deadhead flowers shortly after they fade.
Although it is not considered to be invasive, it is an eager-to-spread plant.
Deadheading prevents uncontrolled spread.
