Two deep violet-purple Malva Mystic Merlin flowers from Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden, with dark veins and white centers, bloom among green leaves in sunlight—a rust-free alternative to Hollyhocks. Greenery and soil form the background.
Two deep violet-purple Malva Mystic Merlin flowers from Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden, with dark veins and white centers, bloom among green leaves in sunlight—a rust-free alternative to Hollyhocks. Greenery and soil form the background.Malva Mystic Merlin by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden features vibrant purple blooms with dark veins and green foliage, offering a rust-free alternative to Hollyhocks and standing out beautifully against a soft gray wooden fence backdrop.Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden’s Malva Mystic Merlin features deep violet-purple blooms with dark veins, offering a rust-free alternative to Hollyhocks. Green-spotted leaves and soil provide a charming garden backdrop.Two vivid violet-purple Malva Mystic Merlin flowers with dark veins bloom among speckled green leaves in a garden, soil and mulch visible. A rust-free alternative to Hollyhocks by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden.Malva Mystic Merlin by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden is a tall green plant with deep violet-purple blooms and buds marked by dark veins, thriving in front of a gray wooden fence—a rust-free Hollyhock alternative highlighted by sunlight.Close-up of Malva Mystic Merlin by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden, displaying rich violet-purple blooms with five petals and green leaves, thriving in sunlight near a gray fence—a rust-free hollyhock alternative.
Perennial Pollinator

Malva Mystic Merlin

Malva sylvestris var. mauritiana 'Mystic Merlin' -- French Mallow

£3.20approx. 50 seeds

Tall sturdy spikes of deep violet-purple silky flowers with darker maroon veining — the Hollyhock alternative without rust problems. Hardy perennial, edible flowers.

Sowing months
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Height
1.5-1.8m
Spread
60cm
Spacing
60cm
Position
Full sun to partial shade
Soil
Exceptionally unfussy -- clay, sand, loam; any reasonable drainage; no feeding needed
Grow guide
How to grow Malva Mystic Merlin
Read the full guide →
About this variety

Tall sturdy spikes at 1.2 to 1.5m, loaded with silky saucers in deep violet-purple veined with darker maroon. The colour shifts about depending on temperature and soil, running between indigo-purple and richer magenta, so the plant looks slightly different from week to week.

It is the sensible alternative to a hollyhock. You get the same height, the same architectural spike against a wall, and none of the rust that makes hollyhocks a two-year battle. It is a short-lived perennial, three or four years, gaining size each season.

The dark colour needs company. On its own at the back of a border it reads as a shadow; put it against gold or orange, rudbeckia or a warm calendula, and the complementary contrast is about as strong as cottage planting gets. Flowers and young leaves are edible. The midsummer chop applies here too: cut it back by half when the first flush tires, or the plant goes woody and unproductive for the rest of the season. It self-seeds prolifically, and the seedlings will not all come back this dark.

Plant alongside

Malva Mystic Merlin pairs beautifully with these cottage garden classics

Echinacea Purple Coneflower
Echinacea Purple Coneflower
£2.50
Malva Alba
Malva Alba
£2.95
Malva Zebrina
Malva Zebrina
£3.20

RHS Plants for Pollinators

This plant has been assessed by the Royal Horticultural Society and recommended as especially beneficial to bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Growing plants like this directly supports UK pollinator populations — something close to our hearts at Salle Moor Hall Farm, where we see the difference a cottage garden full of the right plants can make.

Learn more at RHS.org.uk →