Malva sylvestris - a pretty wild and perennial bed
Malva sylvestris is known by its German names "Wilde Malve" and "Käsepappel" not only to botanists, but is also appreciated by a wide public as a herbaceous and medicinal plant. Wild mallows are one of a total of 30 mallow genera within the mallow family. They are short-lived, summer-green, bushy perennial plants that grow to a maximum height of 120 centimetres and bloom light pink to dark purple from May to September. Wild mallows fit perfectly into country house gardens and near-natural garden styles, including wild gardens. They are an excellent addition to wild and perennial beds and are also considered attractive to insects and bees, thus contributing to increasing the biodiversity of a garden.
Location and soil
Malva sylvestris comes from Southern Europe and the region around the Mediterranean and therefore needs sunny locations. It grows wild on slopes, roadsides and meadows and also on grassland and has very few needs as far as soil conditions are concerned. Dry sandy to loamy soils are its natural habitat, in mountainous regions the mallow can be found up to about 1500 metres. For the garden you should choose a sunny spot with well-drained soil and a maximum of medium moisture. Loose soil rich in nutrients and nitrogen is also an advantage.
Growth and flowers
Malva sylvestris grows horst-like and upright and usually reaches a height of about 80 to 120 centimetres. A typical mallow grows very intensively and quickly, especially in April and May. Wild mallows have summer-green, roundish to heart-shaped flowers. The mallow develops flat flower umbels and stomata. The flowering season of Malva sylvestris is from May to September with the peak from the end of June to the end of August. While mallow plants need regular watering to avoid drying out, avoid waterlogging at all costs.
Compatibility with other plants
Wild mallow is an easy-care and beautifully flowering summer plant for natural beds and flower meadows. It is also excellently suited for bee pastures and farm gardens. It combines relatively well with other plants, provided they prefer the same conditions and are planted about 30 centimetres apart. These include catmint, sage or roses In midsummer, it also does very well in wildflower strands
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