Malva sylvestris
Origin: Paradise, Utah
Improvement status: Cultivated wild material
Seeds per packet: ~35
BOTANICAL SAMPLE - NOT GERMINATION TESTED
Life cycle: Tender Perennial
Mallow is one of our favorite wild edible plants, and we are far from alone in this. Our friend Joseph Lofthouse, the great evolutionary plant breeder, also loves mallow, and this is the mallow that grows wild — and with his encouragement — on his 6th-generation family farm in Paradise, Utah. Here's what he has to say about it:
"This tall, graceful mallow can reach five to six feet when well-tended, producing lush foliage and an abundance of showy deep pink flowers striped with magenta. Bees adore them, and the blooms bring color and charm to any garden or hedgerow... All above-ground parts hold gentle usefulness: the young leaves add a mild, mucilaginous texture to soups and salads, flowers make a striking garnish or soothing tea, and the immature seedpods — called “cheeses” for their wheel-like shape — can be eaten raw or lightly cooked.
"A resilient perennial in mild climates and an easy annual elsewhere, Malva sylvestris self-sows generously, weaving beauty and nourishment into the landscape year after year."
GROWING TIPS: Sow in spring or fall. Give full sun and rich soil for maximum height and bloom.
