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Malva olbia

Lavatera olbia

Also called Tree lavatera, Mallow, Cheeseweed, Mallows

Malva olbia
Photo: Jonathan Billinger, CC BY-SA 2.0

Malva olbia (formerly Lavatera olbia), the tree mallow, is a vigorous perennial shrub reaching about 2.5 m (8 ft), valued for attracting pollinators. Grow it in full sun in well-drained soil, as it is suited to dry, Mediterranean-style conditions.

Family
Malvaceae (Mallow family)
Grows as
Tree, Shrub, Perennial
Light
Full sun
Water
Water deeply but infrequently, letting the soil dry between waterings once established.
Soil
Well-drained, fairly poor to average soil; tolerates sandy or alkaline ground.
Temperature
Hardy in mild climates; protect from hard frost, roughly below -5 °C.
How easy
Easy

About

Malva olbia (previously known as Lavatera olbia), the garden tree mallow, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae. It is native to the western Mediterranean, and has been introduced to California. A vigorous perennial shrub reaching 2.5 m (8 ft), the Royal Horticultural Society considers it to be a good plant to attract pollinators.

Other Malva plants

Malva trimestris · Vervain mallow · Tree Mallow · Island mallow · Musk mallow · Cretan Hollyhock · Common mallow · Bull mallow · Spotted Stalked Tree Mallow · Low mallow · Sea Mallow · High mallow

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Malva olbia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

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