Malva
Malva Zebrina
Malva sylvestris
Also known as: Zebrina French Mallow, Striped Mallow
- Perennials
- Zone 3a
- Full Sun
- Medium
- 90–120 cm
- 45–60 cm
- 45–60 cm
- Low
- Thriller
Bloom window: Summer to Early Fall
Malva Zebrina is a tall, airy perennial mallow known for soft lilac-pink blooms striped with deep purple veins. It brings cottage-garden height and long summer flowering to sunny Manitoba borders with minimal fuss once established.
- Soil
- Well-drained, Clay, Loam
- Native status
- Introduced
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Flower colour
- Pink, Purple, Bicolor
- Foliage colour
- Green
- Foliage habit
- Deciduous
- Landscape use
- Border, Specimen
- Attracts
- Bees, Butterflies
- Resistant to
- Drought, Deer
Care guides
Watering
Water Malva Zebrina deeply whenever the top 3–5 cm of soil dries during spring establishment and peak bloom. A thorough weekly soak usually outperforms light daily misting, especially on Manitoba clay that crusts in wind. Maintain even moisture through the bloom window, then ease back slightly as plants prepare for dormancy. Keep water off foliage late in the evening when possible to reduce foliar disease pressure.
Sunlight
Malva Zebrina (Malva sylvestris) should be placed in full sun. For strongest stems, colour, and flower or fruit production, provide at least 6 hours of direct daily sun, with morning light especially valuable before intense Manitoba afternoon heat. Sites under dense tree canopies or on the north side of buildings typically produce leggy growth, fewer buds, and weaker colour—avoid those locations for this plant. At a mature size around 90–120 cm, give neighbouring plants enough space so they do not shade out the crown as the season progresses.
Pruning
Deadhead spent blooms on Malva Zebrina through the season to tidy the clump and, for many varieties, encourage side shoots or a lighter rebloom. After hard frost, cut deciduous stems back to a few centimetres above the crown, or leave ornamental seed heads standing for winter structure and wildlife if the stems stay sturdy. In early spring, clear remaining straw-like foliage before new shoots emerge. Divide crowded clumps every few years in spring or early fall to renew vigour and flowering.