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Malva Rosa
Malva assurgentiflora
  
About Malva Rosa (Malva assurgentiflora) 42 Nurseries Carry This Plant Malva Rosa (Lavatera assurgentiflor) is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family. It is endemic to California, where it is native only to the Channel Islands. It can also be found growing in coastal mainland California.

It is grown as an ornamental plant and as a windbreak. This sprawling perennial herb or bushy shrub features leaves up to 6 inches long and wide, each divided into 5 to 7 toothed lobes.

Each showy flower has five dark-veined deep pink petals, somewhat rectangular in shape. The disc-shaped fruit is divided into 6 or 8 segments, each containing a seed.

This plant prefers full sun and well-draining soils. It can handle a moderate amount of summer irrigation, up to every other week, as long as it's well drained. Can handle a wide variety of soil types, including clay and sand.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub

Size
Size
3.3 - 13 ft tall
5 - 10 ft wide

Form
Form
Mounding, Rounded

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Fast

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Fragrance
Fragrance
Fragrant - Pleasant

Flower Color
Flower Color
Pink, Purple, Red

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Winter, Spring, Summer

Wildlife Supported
 
Attracts many species of butterflies

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Very Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 2x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 20 - 30° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium, Slow

Soil Description
Soil Description
Adaptable. Tolerates Serpentine Soil. Soil PH: 5 - 8

Common uses
Common uses
Hedges, Hummingbird Gardens, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Giant Coreopsis, Island Bristleweed, Greene's Liveforever, Santa Cruz Island Liveforever, Santa Cruz Island Dandelion, Island Broom

Propagation
Propagation?
For propagating by seed: No treatment. Germination often poor. Propagation from cuttings taken in spring or summer may also work; both methods are slow.

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Coastal bluffs

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 7.8" - 31.3", Summer Precipitation: 0.15" - 0.43", Coldest Month: 44.7" - 57.4", Hottest Month: 60.1" - 78.0", Humidity: 0.88" - 23.46", Elevation: -140" - 1515"

Alternative Names
Botanical Names: Lavatera Assurgentiflora,Lavatera assurgentiflora ssp. glabra,Lavatera assurgentiflora ssp. assurgentiflora
Common Names: Island Mallow


Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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