Other Names:  African Mallow

Description:

A garden origin hybrid that is a slender branched, upright, evergreen shrub; large flowers are light pink and magenta, and are produced year round; very drought tolerant and good for xeriscaping; plant in full sun or bright shade

Ornamental Features

Cape Mallow features showy pink cup-shaped flowers with hot pink eyes along the branches from late winter to late fall. It has dark green evergreen foliage. The lobed leaves remain dark green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Cape Mallow is an open multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Cape Mallow is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Cape Mallow will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. It has a low canopy. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to dry locations, and dislikes excessive moisture. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.