Today, the term "long-flowering plant" is a bit overused, but it fits perfectly with mallow and their relatives.It is not difficult to notice that many of them disappear from rebates after two or three years. However, if they feel well in some place, they return in the next season.
The next generation of mallow and mallow grows completely independently from self-seeding. The life of short-lived plants can be prolonged by cutting faded shoots, but the he althiest and most viable are those that grow from seeds.
Little-known hybrids stand out with longer life.In the second half of the twentieth century, Hungarian gardener Kovats crossed mallow Alcea rosea with marshmallow Althaea officinalis. The hybrid semi-shrub mallow x Alc althaea suffrutescens is represented by three varieties: 'Parkallee' with light yellow flowers, 'Parkfrieden' - light pink and 'Parkrondell' - dark pink, semi-double and slightly smaller than the flowers of garden mallow varieties.Plants reach a height of over 2 m, bloom from June to September, are strong, he althy and resistant to mallow rust.
Another plant that is easy to grow is another mallow's cousin - Hibiscus syriacus.The long-lived beautiful shrub has many varieties with single, semi-double and full flowers of various colors, developing from July to October.A perennial, although not completely frost-resistant, shrub plant is also Lavatera olbia .
Its different varieties bloom in white, pink and red all summer until late fall.Thuringian mallow is more resistant to frost. Viable perennial has gray-green shoots up to 1.5 m long and single pink or white flowers. A little known but effective plant in a perennial bed is the North American Sidalcea mallow with straight stems covered with pink flowers.
Mallows and their relatives best suit the highly sunlit position. The soil should be fertile but permeable.Mallow seedlings are best planted in early autumn so that they develop strong rosettes of leaves and bloom freely in the summer.
He alth benefits of malweed
In herbal medicine, mucilaginous substances obtained from flowers, leaves and roots of marshmallow have been valued for a long time. The therapeutic effect of m altese is shown in inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, gastric ulcer, hyperacidity and constipation.They soothe irritations caused by coughing and other diseases of the upper respiratory tract.
Flour obtained from dried and powdered roots, combined hot with sugar, creates a sweet mass used by confectioners. Marshmallow flowers give the infusion a dark red color. It should not be confused with red hibiscus tea.
The very popular and refreshing infusion is obtained from the flowers of tropical sorrel hibiscus, also known as rosella.Its fleshy dried flower goblets, added to rose hips, give the tea a red color and a mildly sour taste.
Malw care
Mallows and locks are by nature short-lived plants. Settled in the right position, they are reborn from the annual self-seeding. For this to be possible, the shoots with infructescence should be left for the winter and removed only in spring.The life of a single plant can be extended by cutting the shoot right after flowering.
If the plant has been infected with rust, the diseased leaves should be removed immediately after noticing the first symptoms in the form of yellow spots on the upper surface of the leaf and reddish-brown spots on the underside.In autumn, we cut the entire plant.As a last resort, we use chemicals (fungicides).It is best, however, to provide the mallows in a sunny position, not too thickened with plants, with soil with a loose structure.
Beautiful varieties of Mallow
'Pleniflora Chaters' is a full variety of Alcea rosea garden mallow. The full forms have flowers in pink, apricot, white, yellow and purple. Mallows 'Polarstern' and 'Mars Magic' are variations from the Spotlight series.The single flowers of this new group are yellow, pink and red-black.
Olbia mallow Lavatera olbia is a 1.5-2 m tall perennial with a shrub-like habit, sensitive to low temperatures. The 'Barnsley' variety blooms from June to October. She will be grateful for a winter coat. Lavatera trimestris is an annual plant with white, pink, red and purple flowers.
Malwowy Sidalcea malviflora comes from the American prairies.The 'Little Princess' variety is only 40 cm tall, but others, such as 'Elsie Heugh', are even twice as tall. Oregon Sidalcea oregana 'Brillant' with carmine flowers is an old variety bred by Karl Foerster.
Musk mallow Malva moschata has flowers with a slight musk odor. It is a medicinal and spice plant, just like Malva sylvestris. Its cultivar 'Zebrina' develops enchanting pink flowers with purple-violet highlights.
