Malva alcea (greater musk mallow) — perennial

Overview

Malva alcea is a perennial in the genus Malva, part of the Q156551 family. It typically grows around 1.2 m tall. Malva alcea grows best in full sun, and tolerates most soils. Its UK hardiness is rated H7. It is native to SE Europe, Turkey and Caucasus.

About

Malva alcea, the greater musk mallow, is a herbaceous perennial that reaches about 1.2 m and carries upright flowering stems with pink blooms from June to September. It suits full sun and prefers soils that are moist but well drained, from sandy through loam to clay. Fully hardy in the UK (H7), it is long-lived once established. Its stature and summer flowering make it a clear structural plant in mixed plantings.

Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Malva alcea

About the genus

Malva is a genus of herbaceous or woody, annual, biennial, and perennial plants in the family Malvaceae. It is one of several closely related genera in the family to bear the common English name mallow. The genus is widespread throughout the temperate, subtropical and tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Europe.

Wikipedia contributors, "Malva", CC BY-SA 4.0 — Malva

In the garden

Malva alcea originates from south-eastern Europe, Turkey and the Caucasus and presents as a herbaceous perennial reaching roughly 1.2 m at maturity. It produces single pink flowers through the summer months, flowering from June to September. Give the plant a sunny site for best flowering and avoid deep shade. This mallow will grow in a wide range of soils — sandy, loamy or clay — provided they remain moist but well drained. In lighter soils, incorporate organic matter to improve moisture retention; in heavier soils use raised beds or planting on a slight ridge so roots do not sit in standing water. It prefers full sun and will perform best where it receives direct light for much of the day. Malva alcea is fully hardy in the UK (H7), so established clumps can be left through winter without protection. Place it towards the back of a mixed border, a cottage-style bed or a relaxed meadow edge where a metre-high herbaceous presence is required. Allow space for its upright stems so the summer flowers read clearly against lower neighbours; when sited and fed appropriately it reliably returns each season to reach its typical height of about 1.2 m.