Malva sylvestris is a freely self-sowing perennial characterized by large, hollyhock-like foliage and showy, dark-striped, mauve-purple blooms.
Dear Helen: Can you identify the flower in the attached photo? The plant is around one metre tall, with four branching stems bearing showy purple flowers with some striping. I’ve been told the plant is lady’s mantle , but it seems to me more like a hollyhock. The plant arrived on its own — self-sown. Is it an annual or perennial?Lady’s mantle is very different from your plant.
Malva sylvestris flowers all summer and well into autumn. An old name for the plant is “cheeses,” for the tan to brown seeds that are shaped like a cheese wheel.Dear Helen: I’ve been following the “bunny battles” in your columns and hope you can pass along your observations on what plants have and have not been eaten. Any surprises?I’ve been comparing what I’ve seen in my garden with online lists of plants that rabbits do and do not eat.
Non of the calendula plants have been touched. I could fill the bed with calendula next year. There are many varieties, with enough differences among them in flower colour and form to make such a display interesting.
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