Musk Mallow

A perfect garden plant!

Musk Mallows are perennials with light pink, and rarely white flowers with striking similarities to its relatives hibiscus, among many other species.

Plants grow upright stems of flowers blooming gradually towards the top, and then compact at the top. Flowers bunch together well to produce stems usable for bouquets.

Instructions

Start seeds indoors in spring or sow outside after the risk of frost has passed. Indoor sprouting can be accelerated by placing between moist paper towels and kept in a warm area. Sprouts grown this way can be carefully transplanted into small plant pots when the taproot is approximately 1/2 an inch long.

When potted plants begin growing 3 or more sets of true leaves, they can start being hardened off. Transplant into a larger pot or directly in the garden when plants have finished hardened off after about a week.

Musk Mallow can be fertilized once in early summer and again in late fall. You may also fertilize as you would with other garden perennials.

To collect seed, flowers will eventually drop, leaving behind a 'wrapped' ring of seeds. When the outer 'wrapping' becomes brown and papery and the seeds within black. Seeds may be removed from the central part of the bud and let to dry.  When seeds are dry, they will have a thin fuzzy coating, which can be removed by holding seeds between your palms and gently rubbing them. Heavy seed can be lightly blown away from the lighter coatings on a tray.

Plant information