Malva sylvestris Purple Zebra Mix - Common mallow seeds

The Malva sylvestris 'Purple Zebra Mix' is a mix of two beautiful varieties of tall Mallow. More biennial than perennial, the Wood Mallow is interesting for its robustness and long summer flowering in pink and purple tones. The cup-shaped flowers, intensely veined with dark flames, cluster tightly on strong stems. They offer a very beautiful spectacle throughout the summer, even in the first year of cultivation. The High Mallow is hardy, adapts to almost all soils, and tolerates drought.

The 'Purple Zebra Mix' combines the varieties 'Mauritiana' and 'Zebrina'. The species, Malva sylvestris, is an herbaceous plant of the mallow family. Native to Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia, it is commonly found in meadows, roadsides, and fallow land, usually on rich, well-drained soils, in sunny or slightly shaded areas. It is a hemicryptophyte, with above-ground parts dying in winter while buds remain close to the ground to sprout in spring. Relatively drought-resistant, it has deep roots allowing it to draw water from depth.

'Purple Zebra Mix' produces usually biennial plants, rarely living more than two years. Each has an upright habit, its vegetation covered with spreading hairs, reaching approximately 1 m in height when flowering and occupying 60 cm of ground space. Its stems bear large heart-shaped to rounded leaves, slightly lobed, and crinkled, of a very rich dark green. Flowering occurs from June to September, which can vary depending on the sowing date. The flowers are grouped in well-distributed clusters on strong stems, displaying perfect architecture and chromatic harmony. These are corollas with 5 notched petals measuring between 3 and 5 cm in diameter. In 'Zebrina', they are pale pink with veins resembling tapered flames, of such a dark purple that they appear almost black when plunging into the heart of the flower. In 'Mauritania', their colour is a purplish pink leaning more towards blue than those of the wild form. They are also more subtly veined. This flowering is honey-producing and nectar-rich. After pollination, fruits shaped like small wheels form, containing 11 or 12 large seeds.

The 'Purple Zebra Mix' Mallow is ideal in natural areas, on large slopes or in cottage gardens alongside tree mallows, mulleins (Verbascum), or tall ornamental thistles. You can associate it with Achillea millefolium 'Paprika' with umbels of bright red to orange flowers. In a flowerbed, mix it with Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus'. On a slope, consider 'Hidcote' Lavender.