Malva 'Zebrina' Seeds
If you love the shape of Hollyhocks but don't have the space for 6ft giants, Malva 'Zebrina' is the perfect alternative. Often called the "Zebra Mallow," it produces masses of open, saucer-shaped flowers in a soft lilac-pink, intricately painted with deep, dark purple veins that stripe outwards from the centre.
This is a plant with personality. It forms a bushy, shrub-like mound that blooms tirelessly from early summer right through to the first frosts. It brings a vintage, cottage-garden feel to borders and looks incredible when planted in drifts where the intricate pattern of the flowers can create a tapestry of colour.
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🌿 Understanding the Plant
Malva 'Zebrina' is a vigorous Short-Lived Perennial (often grown as a Hardy Annual).
It usually lives for 2-3 years, but it is a brilliant self-seeder. Once you have one plant, it will drop seeds around its base, ensuring you have a permanent colony of these striped beauties popping up year after year.
Top Tip: Unlike true Hollyhocks which take two years to bloom, Malva 'Zebrina' will flower in its very first summer if sown early in spring.
🌱 Growing Guide: How to Sow and Grow
This is a tough, unfussy plant that is easy to raise from seed.
Germination:
Sow indoors from February to May, or directly outdoors in May. Sow seeds on the surface of moist compost and cover lightly with vermiculite. Keep warm (15-20°C). Germination takes 14-21 days.
Where to Sow:
They love sun or partial shade. They are not fussy about soil type and will thrive in heavy clay or dry sandy soil, as long as it drains reasonably well.
Care While Growing:
The Chop: If the plant starts to look "leggy" or tired in mid-summer, cut it back by half. Water it well, and it will produce a fresh flush of leaves and flowers for autumn.
📋 Plant Specifications
| Latin Name | Malva sylvestris |
| Common Name | French Hollyhock / Zebra Mallow |
| Hardiness | H5 (Hardy Perennial) |
| Light Required | Sun / Part Shade ⛅ |
| Height | ↕️ 80cm - 100cm |
| Spread | ↔️ 60cm |
| Spacing | 🌱 60cm apart |
| Great for | 🦓 Patterned Blooms 🐝 Pollinators 🏡 Cottage Gardens 🧱 Back of Border |
| Seed Count | Approx. 30 seeds per packet |
🤝 Perfect Garden Companions
The busy pattern of 'Zebrina' needs calming down with solid blocks of colour:
- ☁️ Cosmos 'Purity': The calm contrast. The pure white, simple flowers of Cosmos provide a rest for the eye against the intricate purple stripes of the Malva.
- ☀️ Rudbeckia 'Marmalade': The Jewel Box. Pairing the purple/lilac Malva with the golden-orange Rudbeckia creates a rich, complementary colour scheme that glows in late summer.
📅 Sowing & Flowering Calendar
Sow in spring for first-year flowers. Flowers June to October.
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow Indoors | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | ||||||||
| Sow Outdoors | 🟢 | 🟢 | ||||||||||
| Flowers | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 |
🏆 Officially Recognised Excellence
Malva 'Zebrina' is a magnet for bees. Its open, saucer-shaped flowers make nectar easily accessible, ensuring your garden is a buzzing hub of biodiversity all summer.
- Regular price
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£3.20 - Regular price
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- Sale price
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£3.20
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