How to Grow Mallow Flowers

About Growing Mallow Plants in Your Home Flower Garden

Mallow is a fun and easy-to-grow member of the Hibiscus plant family. While today this plant calls many places “Home”, it is native to North America, Asia, and Australia. depending upon your point of view, mallow is a weed, a flower, or an edible plant. If you are growing mallow flowers, you can also harvest the edible mallow leaves to use in salads, soups, and stews.

there are annual and perennial varieties of Mallow plants. But, they are most often grown as an annual plant.

The flower blooms resemble hollyhocks, and are 2 inches across, in pink or white colors. The leaves are heart-shaped. Large leaves at the bottom of the plant, gradually give way to smaller leaves, higher up the stem.

Mallow flowers attract butterflies.

Try growing Mallow in flower beds, borders, or containers on your patio or deck.

Mallow looks good in cut flower arrangements. too.

Flowers Bloom: Summer and Fall

Flower Colors: Blooms include orange, pink, purple, red, yellow, and white.

Other Names: Malva, Striped Mallow

Plant Height: 1′ – 4′, depending upon variety

Perennial, Annual, Lavatera trimestris

Mallow Plant Propagation

Mallow plants are grown from seeds. Sow seeds directly into your flower garden after all danger of frost has passed.

While you can start seeds, indoors, they do not like to be transplanted. If you choose an indoor start, we recommend using peat pots. Transplant before roots begin to emerge through the pot.

Mallow can also be propagated by rooting cuttings. Use tender, young stems.

Ideal Germination Temperature: 70 degrees

Days to Germination: 5 – 10 days.

How to Grow Mallow Flower Plants

Grow Mallow plants in full sun. They will tolerate partial shade.

Mallow plants like good to average soils, that are well-drained. Add a generous amount of compost into the soil before planting.

The plants are drought-tolerant but grow best with a constant supply of water.

Water regularly extended during droughts.

Apply a general-purpose fertilizer monthly.

Established Mallow plants are low maintenance. For a bushier growth, pinch back growing tips after the plant reaches 12″.

Add mulch around the plants for appearance, and to keep weeds down.

Deadhead spent flowers, to promote new blooms.

Ideal Soil pH: 6.0 – 7.0

Insects and Plant Disease

Perennial Achillea is resistant to insects and disease. If insect or disease problems occur, treat early with organic or chemical insect repellents and fungicide.