Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants
ShrubsHerbaceous Perennial

Malva arborea
  • RHS Plants for pollinators

tree mallow

A biennial/short-lived perennial of bushy habit to 2m in height and 1-2m spread. Foliage is semi-evergreen, leaves being 8-10cm wide, lobed to semi-palmate with serrated margins. Flowers are 4cm wide, cup-shaped, in shades of pink to dark-pink, with dark-pink veining to the throat, and appear in summer

Other common names
sea lavatera
sea mallow
see morevelvet leaf
wild tree mallow
Synonyms
Lavatera arborea

Join the RHS

Become an RHS Member today and save 30% on your first year

Join now
Buy this plant
Size
Ultimate height
1.5–2.5 metres
Time to ultimate height
2–5 years
Ultimate spread
1.5–2.5 metres
Growing conditions
Chalk
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Green
Summer Pink Green
Autumn Green
Winter Green
Position
  • Full sun
Aspect

South–facing or East–facing

Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness
H4
Botanical details
Family
Malvaceae
Native to the UK
Yes
Foliage
Semi evergreen
Habit
Bushy
Genus

Malva can be annuals, biennials or perennials, with rounded, often palmately lobed leaves and 5-petalled, open funnel-shaped flowers in the leaf axils or in terminal racemes

Name status

Correct

Plant range
Europe, N. Africa

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in light, moderately fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. Shelter from cold, drying winds in frost-prone areas. Often short-lived

Propagation

Propagate by taking softwood cuttings in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • Mediterranean climate plants
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Coastal
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Low Maintenance
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Wall side borders
Pruning

Cut down growth in autumn

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be subject to stem rot, soil-borne fungal diseases and a rust

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.