More Information
| Botanical Name |
Malva sylvestris |
| Seeds Per Pack |
50 |
| Life Cycle |
Perennial |
| Min. Time to Germinate |
15 Days |
| Max. Time to Germinate |
30 Days |
| Depth to Sow Seeds |
1/16 in. |
| When to Sow |
Indoors 8-10 weeks before last spring frost, Outdoors after all danger of spring frost is past |
| Growing Height |
24-36 in. (60-90 cm) |
| Plant Spacing |
18-24 in. (45-60 cm) |
| Hardiness |
USDA Zone 5a: to -15F, USDA Zone 5b: to -10F, USDA Zone 6a: to -5F, USDA Zone 6b: to 0F, USDA Zone 7a: to 5F, USDA Zone 7b: to 10F, USDA Zone 8a: to 15F, USDA Zone 8b: to 20F |
| Sun Exposure |
Full Sun, Sun to Partial Shade |
| Danger |
N/A |
| Bloom Color |
Magenta (Pink-Purple), Pale Pink |
| Bloom Time |
Late Spring/Early Summer, Late Summer/Early Fall, Mid-Fall, Mid-Summer |
| Foliage |
Herbaceous |
| Other Details |
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater |
| Soil pH Requirements |
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic), 6.6 to 7.5 (neutral) |
| Propagation Methods |
From seed; direct sow after last frost, From seed; direct sow outdoors in fall, From seed; sow indoors before last frost |
| Seed Collecting |
Allow pods to dry on plant; break open to collect seeds |
Brave Heart mallow is a cottage-garden standout with satiny, saucer-shaped lilac to mauve blooms vividly striped with royal-purple veins, a look that echoes a neater, better-behaved hollyhock. A short-lived perennial or biennial often grown as an annual, it forms a bushy clump and sends up flowering spires roughly 3 to 5 feet tall that can bloom for months from summer into fall. Give it full sun and well-drained soil, then enjoy its toughness through heat, drought, and a wide range of soil types, with occasional staking if growth gets lush. Pollinators flock to the nectar-rich flowers, and if you let a few seedheads mature, it may self-sow for an easy encore season.