Search Plants
Try for Free
English
About
Key Facts
Distribution
How To Care
All Species
More Genus
Mallow (Malva)
The mallow (Malva) are a small but diverse and highly widespread group of flowering plants. Many mallow are grown ornamentally, being highly regarded for both their showy flowers and their ease of cultivation. Several species, including High Mallow (M. sylvestris), bear edible and nutritious leaves, which have historically been eaten as salad greens and are currently sold dried for tea.
Lifespan
Perennial
Plant Type
Herb/Vine
Key Facts About Mallow
Feedback
Attributes of Mallow
Plant Height
1.2 m
Spread
50 cm
Leaf type
Deciduous
Ideal Temperature
0 - 32 ℃
Scientific Classification of Mallow
Distribution of Mallow
Feedback
Distribution Map of Mallow
Native
Cultivated
Invasive
Potentially invasive
Exotic
No species reported
How to Grow and Care for Mallow
Feedback
The mallow genus, known for its attractive flowers, requires full to partial sunlight and well-draining soil, thriving in a range of temperatures common to temperate regions. Regular watering to keep the soil moist without waterlogging is vital. Mallow faces common challenges like rust, powdery mildew, and pests such as aphids and Japanese beetles. Seasonal considerations include mulching for winter protection and regular deadheading during the growing season to promote continuous blooming.
How to Water Mallow?
What Are the Sunlight Requirements for Mallow?
How to Propagate Mallow?
How to Plant Mallow?
Exploring the Mallow Plants
Feedback
8 most common species：
Common mallow
The common mallow is an ornamental plant with a large variety of cultivars. It has historically also been used to create a yellow dye. Common mallow seeds are shaped roughly like cheese wheels, leading the seeds (and sometimes the plant itself) being called "cheeses."
Musk mallow
Musk mallow (Malva moschata) is a flowering plant native to Europe. Musk mallow was introduced into the New World early in the colonial period and has since spread around the world. There are blue, purple, pink, red, and white varieties of this species. Both the common name and specific epithet reference the "musky" scent the plant gives off.
Cheeseweed mallow
Cheeseweed mallow (Malva parviflora) is a plant species native to Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. Cheeseweed mallow has a variety of other common names including Egyptian mallow, marshmallow, small-flowered mallow, and mallow. This species is naturalized in many places.
Common mallow
Common mallow originates in Eurasia and is considered to be an invasive plant in North America. It can take hold quickly in disturbed soils, generating extensive taproot networks that are hard to eliminate. Its seeds can survive for a long time in the soil. Once the seed coat is broken and exposed to water, it can germinate. With its slightly rounded leaves, it is often mistaken for a geranium weed, but geranium leaves are more deeply-dissected.
Tree mallow
Tree mallow (Malva arborea) prefers to grow on exposed coastal areas, as it has a high salinity tolerance and can excrete salt through its leaves. It produces vibrant purple flowers and is native to the British Isles, the western coasts of Europe, the Mediterranean, and parts of North Africa.
Mallow
Mallow is an annual variety of mallow that is grown for ornamental purposes. It bears striking purple flowers that bloom throughout the summer. It is sometimes known as Creeping Charlies and its seeds are called cheeses.
Annual mallow
Annual mallow (Malva trimestris) is an annual flower with roots in the Mediterranean region. It can now also be found around North America. Annual mallow prefers drained soils and full sunlight. The species epithet to its scientific name, "trimestris," refers to its habit of blooming for three months at a time. Those blooms attract birds, bees, and butterflies.
Low mallow
Low mallow (Malva pusilla) is a weedy annual species that often grows in yards, lawns, and cracks in concrete. Although some gardeners grow this white flower in gardens, it is often considered a weed in other contexts.
All Species of Mallow
Common mallow
Common mallow
The common mallow is an ornamental plant with a large variety of cultivars. It has historically also been used to create a yellow dye. Common mallow seeds are shaped roughly like cheese wheels, leading the seeds (and sometimes the plant itself) being called "cheeses."
Musk mallow
Musk mallow
Musk mallow (Malva moschata) is a flowering plant native to Europe. Musk mallow was introduced into the New World early in the colonial period and has since spread around the world. There are blue, purple, pink, red, and white varieties of this species. Both the common name and specific epithet reference the "musky" scent the plant gives off.
Cheeseweed mallow
Cheeseweed mallow
Cheeseweed mallow (Malva parviflora) is a plant species native to Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. Cheeseweed mallow has a variety of other common names including Egyptian mallow, marshmallow, small-flowered mallow, and mallow. This species is naturalized in many places.
Common mallow
Common mallow
Common mallow originates in Eurasia and is considered to be an invasive plant in North America. It can take hold quickly in disturbed soils, generating extensive taproot networks that are hard to eliminate. Its seeds can survive for a long time in the soil. Once the seed coat is broken and exposed to water, it can germinate. With its slightly rounded leaves, it is often mistaken for a geranium weed, but geranium leaves are more deeply-dissected.
Tree mallow
Tree mallow
Tree mallow (Malva arborea) prefers to grow on exposed coastal areas, as it has a high salinity tolerance and can excrete salt through its leaves. It produces vibrant purple flowers and is native to the British Isles, the western coasts of Europe, the Mediterranean, and parts of North Africa.
Mallow
Mallow
Mallow is an annual variety of mallow that is grown for ornamental purposes. It bears striking purple flowers that bloom throughout the summer. It is sometimes known as Creeping Charlies and its seeds are called cheeses.
Annual mallow
Annual mallow
Annual mallow (Malva trimestris) is an annual flower with roots in the Mediterranean region. It can now also be found around North America. Annual mallow prefers drained soils and full sunlight. The species epithet to its scientific name, "trimestris," refers to its habit of blooming for three months at a time. Those blooms attract birds, bees, and butterflies.
Low mallow
Low mallow
Low mallow (Malva pusilla) is a weedy annual species that often grows in yards, lawns, and cracks in concrete. Although some gardeners grow this white flower in gardens, it is often considered a weed in other contexts.
Greater musk mallow
Greater musk mallow
Greater musk mallow (Malva alcea) is a popular ornamental plant thanks to its graceful pink flowers, which add color to borders. This plant isn't just loved by people though; its nectar attracts several kinds of bees and other pollinating insects. The caterpillars of many butterfly and moth species also feast on its leaves.
Cornish mallow
Cornish mallow
Cornish mallow (Malva multiflora) is a flowering plant that is native to the Mediterranean and naturalized in parts of Australia and the southwestern United States. It produces small pink or purple flowers.
Garden tree-mallow
Garden tree-mallow
Garden tree-mallow (Malva thuringiaca) is a highly popular, award-winning ornamental plant prized for its elegant pink flowers, which are attractive to butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. In the wild, this plant can be seen most easily during its summer and early fall bloom times, growing by roadsides and waterways.
Mediterranean mallow
Mediterranean mallow
Persistent shrub, up to 2 m in height. Stem erect, semi-woody, often brownish violet, younger parts tomentose, harsh and starry hairs. Leaves alternate, long petiolate, in total up to 15 cm long, with both pubescent faces. The lower ones more or less rounded, the upper ones oval, pointed with 3-5 lobes, the longest terminal.
Island mallow
Island mallow
Island mallow (Malva assurgentiflora) is a perennial plant native to the Channel Islands in California. Island mallow is often grown in California as an ornamental species that is planted to break the wind. Attracts many types of butterflies, hummingbirds, and other birds.
Tree mallow
Tree mallow
Tree mallow's bicolored petals make it a hit among gardeners. The pink/purple centers seep into the purer white outer edges. You can find it growing naturally along shorelines. The subshrub has received the Award of Garden Merit.
Bull mallow
Bull mallow
Bull mallow is a flowering herb that grows naturally on stony and rocky ground. It grows exuberantly after the earliest winter rains and produces a multitude of enormous, billowing green leaves on thin stems. The lovely pink flowers attract the cabbage white butterfly as well as bumblebees.
Spotted-stalked tree-mallow
Spotted-stalked tree-mallow
Spotted-stalked tree-mallow is distinguished by its deeply veined heart-shaped leaves with jagged edges, featuring a unique pattern of purple-brown spots near the base. This hardy perennial often flourishes in moist, well-drained soils under partial sun. Its delicate pale pink to lavender flowers bloom in summer, attracting pollinators while adding subtle beauty to wildflower gardens.
Chinese mallow
Chinese mallow
The acreages were dwindled since the Tang dynasty. In his Nong Shu , Wang Zhen wrote that mallow came top among various vegetables, because "it could be alternative in years of crop failure, or be marinated to serve with staples". There were rare occasions that people cultivate or consume mallow, during the Ming dynasty.
Variegated tree mallow
Variegated tree mallow
Variegated tree mallow is a tree mallow variety that finds its main differentiating factor from other varieties in the color of its leaves and flowers. This variegated cultivar features lobbed leaves with a gentle splash of cream in irregular patterns, and its funnel-shaped flowers have a striking mauve shade which makes it stand out as an aesthetic choice for your garden.
Blue mallow
Blue mallow
Blue mallow is a charming garden plant that blooms on long stems, attracting bees and butterflies.
Common mallow 'Primley Blue'
Common mallow 'Primley Blue'
With sterile flowers, the common mallow 'Primley Blue' cultivar of the mallow lasts longer than other varieties because it does not go to seed. The cultivar is named due to its association with Herbert Whitley, a biologist who loved the color blue and lived at Primley House.
More Popular Genus
Feedback
Dracaena
Dracaena are popular house plants that are easy to grow. They can tolerate low-light conditions and require little watering. Their leaves range from variegated to dark green. Their characteristic traits include woody stems that grow slowly but offer a striking appearance for small spaces such as apartments or offices.
Fig trees
Fig trees have been cultivated in many regions for their fruits, particularly the common fig, F. carica. Most of the species have edible fruits, although the common fig is the only one of commercial value. Fig trees are also important food sources for wildlife in the tropics, including monkeys, bats, and insects.
Brambles
Brambles are members of the rose family, and there are hundreds of different types to be found throughout the European countryside. They have been culturally significant for centuries; Christian folklore stories hold that when the devil was thrown from heaven, he landed on a bramble bush. Their vigorous growth habit can tangle into native plants and take over.
Maples
The popular tree family known as maples change the color of their leaves in the fall. Many cultural traditions encourage people to watch the colors change, such as momijigari in Japan. Maples popular options for bonsai art. Alternately, their sap is used to create maple syrup.
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of flowering fruit trees that includes almonds, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, and apricots. These are often known as "stone fruits" because their pits are large seeds or "stones." When prunus trees are damaged, they exhibit "gummosis," a condition in which the tree's gum (similar to sap) is secreted to the bark to help heal external wounds.
Nightshades
Nightshades is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Roses
Most species of roses are shrubs or climbing plants that have showy flowers and sharp thorns. They are commonly cultivated for cut flowers or as ornamental plants in gardens due to their attractive appearance, pleasant fragrance, and cultural significance in many countries. The rose hips (fruits) can also be used in jams and teas.
Oaks
Oaks are among the world's longest-lived trees, sometimes growing for over 1,000 years! The oldest known oak tree is in the southern United States and is over 1,500 years old. Oaks produce an exceedingly popular type of wood which is used to make different products, from furniture and flooring to wine barrels and even cosmetic creams.
Continue reading in our app - it's better
A database of 400000+ plants and unlimited guides at your fingertips...
Your Ultimate Guide to Plants
Identify grow and nurture the better way!
17,000 local species +400,000 global species studied
Nearly 5 years of research
80+ scholars in botany and gardening
Botanist in your pocket
Scan the QR code with your phone camera to download the app
About
Key Facts
Distribution
How To Care
All Species
More Genus
Mallow
Malva
The mallow (Malva) are a small but diverse and highly widespread group of flowering plants. Many mallow are grown ornamentally, being highly regarded for both their showy flowers and their ease of cultivation. Several species, including High Mallow (M. sylvestris), bear edible and nutritious leaves, which have historically been eaten as salad greens and are currently sold dried for tea.
Lifespan
Perennial
Plant Type
Herb/Vine
Key Facts About Mallow
Feedback
Attributes of Mallow
Plant Height
1.2 m
Spread
50 cm
Leaf type
Deciduous
Ideal Temperature
0 - 32 ℃
Scientific Classification of Mallow
Distribution of Mallow
Feedback
Distribution Map of Mallow
Native
Cultivated
Invasive
Potentially invasive
Exotic
No species reported
How to Grow and Care for Mallow
Feedback
The mallow genus, known for its attractive flowers, requires full to partial sunlight and well-draining soil, thriving in a range of temperatures common to temperate regions. Regular watering to keep the soil moist without waterlogging is vital. Mallow faces common challenges like rust, powdery mildew, and pests such as aphids and Japanese beetles. Seasonal considerations include mulching for winter protection and regular deadheading during the growing season to promote continuous blooming.
How to Water Mallow?
What Are the Sunlight Requirements for Mallow?
How to Propagate Mallow?
How to Plant Mallow?
Exploring the Mallow Plants
Feedback
8 most common species：
Common mallow
The common mallow is an ornamental plant with a large variety of cultivars. It has historically also been used to create a yellow dye. Common mallow seeds are shaped roughly like cheese wheels, leading the seeds (and sometimes the plant itself) being called "cheeses."
Musk mallow
Musk mallow (Malva moschata) is a flowering plant native to Europe. Musk mallow was introduced into the New World early in the colonial period and has since spread around the world. There are blue, purple, pink, red, and white varieties of this species. Both the common name and specific epithet reference the "musky" scent the plant gives off.
Cheeseweed mallow
Cheeseweed mallow (Malva parviflora) is a plant species native to Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. Cheeseweed mallow has a variety of other common names including Egyptian mallow, marshmallow, small-flowered mallow, and mallow. This species is naturalized in many places.
Common mallow
Common mallow originates in Eurasia and is considered to be an invasive plant in North America. It can take hold quickly in disturbed soils, generating extensive taproot networks that are hard to eliminate. Its seeds can survive for a long time in the soil. Once the seed coat is broken and exposed to water, it can germinate. With its slightly rounded leaves, it is often mistaken for a geranium weed, but geranium leaves are more deeply-dissected.
Show More Species
All Species of Mallow
Common mallow
Musk mallow
Cheeseweed mallow
Common mallow
Tree mallow
Mallow
Annual mallow
Low mallow
Greater musk mallow
Cornish mallow
Garden tree-mallow
Mediterranean mallow
Island mallow
Tree mallow
Bull mallow
Spotted-stalked tree-mallow
Chinese mallow
Variegated tree mallow
Blue mallow
Common mallow 'Primley Blue'
More Popular Genus
Feedback
Dracaena
Dracaena are popular house plants that are easy to grow. They can tolerate low-light conditions and require little watering. Their leaves range from variegated to dark green. Their characteristic traits include woody stems that grow slowly but offer a striking appearance for small spaces such as apartments or offices.
Fig trees
Fig trees have been cultivated in many regions for their fruits, particularly the common fig, F. carica. Most of the species have edible fruits, although the common fig is the only one of commercial value. Fig trees are also important food sources for wildlife in the tropics, including monkeys, bats, and insects.
Brambles
Brambles are members of the rose family, and there are hundreds of different types to be found throughout the European countryside. They have been culturally significant for centuries; Christian folklore stories hold that when the devil was thrown from heaven, he landed on a bramble bush. Their vigorous growth habit can tangle into native plants and take over.
Maples
The popular tree family known as maples change the color of their leaves in the fall. Many cultural traditions encourage people to watch the colors change, such as momijigari in Japan. Maples popular options for bonsai art. Alternately, their sap is used to create maple syrup.
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of flowering fruit trees that includes almonds, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, and apricots. These are often known as "stone fruits" because their pits are large seeds or "stones." When prunus trees are damaged, they exhibit "gummosis," a condition in which the tree's gum (similar to sap) is secreted to the bark to help heal external wounds.
Nightshades
Nightshades is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Roses
Most species of roses are shrubs or climbing plants that have showy flowers and sharp thorns. They are commonly cultivated for cut flowers or as ornamental plants in gardens due to their attractive appearance, pleasant fragrance, and cultural significance in many countries. The rose hips (fruits) can also be used in jams and teas.
Oaks
Oaks are among the world's longest-lived trees, sometimes growing for over 1,000 years! The oldest known oak tree is in the southern United States and is over 1,500 years old. Oaks produce an exceedingly popular type of wood which is used to make different products, from furniture and flooring to wine barrels and even cosmetic creams.
Your Ultimate Guide to Plants
Identify grow and nurture the better way!
17,000 local species +400,000 global species studied
Nearly 5 years of research
80+ scholars in botany and gardening
Continue reading in our app - it's better
A database of 400000+ plants
unlimited guides at your fingertips...
unlimited guides at your fingertips...
