Althaea cannabina

Althea cannabina is a large herbaceous plant related to mallows and Lavatera that is both charming and robust. Tall and branched, it is recognisable by its beautiful, cut and toothed leaves reminiscent of hemp or cannabis, which have earned it the name False Hemp Mallow. It is also appreciated for its long lasting, light, airy, and rustic flowering.  Its small flowers are fresh and bright pink with a darker heart.  They bloom in abundance and succeed each other for almost 3 months. Hardy and undemanding, this easy-to-grow plant has its place in a large, slightly wild bed, with single-flowered roses and grasses, for example.

Althea cannabina, also known as Hemp Mallow, Hemp-leaved Hollyhock and Palm-leaf marsh mallow, is a plant native to Southern Europe and Western Asia.  It belongs to the Malvaceae family, like the marsh mallow (Althea officinalis). Its above-ground foliage is deciduous, falling in winter. It prefers a rather calcareous, poor and fairly dry soil in summer.

It is a perennial herbaceous plant with an upright habit, which can quickly reach a height of 1.20m (4ft) and a width of 50cm (20in), sometimes up to 2m (7ft) in height. Its thin and branched stems, covered with hairs, are slightly rough to the touch. They bear numerous leaves which are dark green-grey in colour, rough, palmate, and deeply cut into lanceolate segments with strongly toothed edges. The flowering period extends from June-July to September-October, depending on the climate. Flowers appear in the axils of the leaves, on long, hairy, and branched stems.  These cup-shaped flowers have a diameter of 3cm (1in), composed of 5 pink petals with shiny, serrated edges, surrounding a pink-purple centre occupied by stamens and pistils. The flowers are short-lived, but they constantly renew themselves. This flowering attracts pollinating insects. Pollinated flowers develop small dry fruits called capsules containing numerous seeds.

The palm-leaf marsh mallow is ideal in natural areas, on large embankments, in the company of single-flowered hollyhocks and shrubby Lavatera, with which it shares a family resemblance. It also pairs well with grasses (Panicum Kulsenmoor, Miscanthus Yaku-jima, Stipa gigantea), mulleins, or thistles (Echinops ritro, Eryngium...), Centaurea dealbata, nigellas, annual poppies...