Choose tree mallow by job: a pink hybrid shrub or a maritime kind with pale lavender flowers. Those are the two kinds here.
Choose a pink hybrid shrub or a maritime tree mallow
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Pink hybrid shrub | Rosea for a tall summer screen of pink saucers | Treating it as a permanent hedge that never needs replacing |
| Maritime shrub | L. maritima for pale lavender flowers and coastal drain | A different watering calendar because the flowers are paler |
| Lookalike | Read Lavatera or Malva × clementii on the tag | Annual packet mallow, marshmallow, or hollyhock as this plant |
Know your USDA hardiness zone before you pick a type of lavatera that will take your winter. Type your ZIP below.
2023 USDA ZIP listings (PRISM / USDA-ARS). Find Your USDA Hardiness Zone · Official USDA map.
Read the Latin on the tag. The pink hybrid starts with L. × clementii ‘Rosea’. [1] Maritime gray-green foliage and pale lavender flowers with a purple throat are L. maritima. [2] Both want the same sun and drain — not a second care job. [3]
What is the difference between Rosea and maritima?
Rosea is a pink hybrid shrub you hard prune in spring. Maritima is a maritime shrub with pale lavender flowers and a woody frame. Same sun, same drain.
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Pink hybrid shrubs
L. × clementii ‘Rosea’ is the familiar pink hybrid shrub — hollyhock-like flowers on maple-shaped gray-green leaves, cut back hard each spring.
Maritime tree mallow
L. maritima is the maritime shrub: pale lavender flowers with a purple throat, on a woody frame you prune more lightly in spring.
Not annual mallow, marshmallow, or hollyhock
Annual tree mallow in a seed packet is usually Malva trimestris (once sold as Lavatera trimestris) — a one-season bedding plant, not these shrubs. [4] Marshmallow candy lore points to Althaea. True hollyhock is Alcea, taller and rust-prone on a different plant. Garden mallow (Malva) is a related bed plant, not this cluster. Confirm Lavatera or the × clementii hybrid on the tag.
Is tree mallow the same as marshmallow?
No. Marshmallow is Althaea — a different plant. These shrubs are Lavatera tree mallow.
Is tree mallow a hollyhock?
No. The flowers look related, but hollyhock is Alcea. Tree mallow is a shorter, bushier shrub.
If the tag says marshmallow, hollyhock, or annual mallow, it is a different plant — read the Latin before you bed it as tree mallow.
FAQ
Do you list Barnsley?
No. Barnsley is a real named hybrid other shops sell. The two jobs here are the pink hybrid shrub and the maritime kind.
Is this the annual packet mallow?
No. Annual packets labeled tree mallow are usually Malva trimestris. The plants here are short-lived shrubs.
Did the Latin change to Malva?
Many botanists now place these plants in Malva. Shop tags still say Lavatera. Match the habit on the tag — hybrid shrub or maritime — not the older genus name alone.
Related guides
References
- [1] Royal Horticultural Society -
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/lavatera/growing-guide - [2] Gardenia.net -
https://www.gardenia.net/plant/lavatera-x-clementii-rosea-tree-mallow - [3] Gardenia.net -
https://www.gardenia.net/plant/lavatera-maritima-tree-mallow - [4] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/malva-trimestris/
This note is part of Lavatera Guides.
More type comparisons by plant are gathered in Types of Plants Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors