Malope trifida

Malope trifida — annual mallow

Malope trifida is the botanical name for the showy annual mallow, an upright, branching plant hung with large, satiny, trumpet-shaped flowers in glowing magenta, pink and white. It is the species behind our malope range within the flower seed collection.

History & origin

Native to the western Mediterranean, this easy mallow has long been a cottage-garden and cutting favourite, valued for the size and luminous colour of its blooms and its willingness to flower from a simple direct sowing.

The species name trifida means “divided into three,” describing the three-lobed shape of the leaves; the flowers are notable for the deeper veining that radiates from each throat.

Botanical characteristics

A robust hardy annual reaching around a metre, malope carries broad leaves and a long succession of wide, silken trumpets, each centred with a darker, intricately veined eye. The long, strong stems make it an excellent, long-lasting cut flower, and the open, nectar-rich blooms draw bees, fitting it neatly among our pollinator flowers.

Growing Malope trifida from seed

Sow direct where it is to flower once the soil is warm, or start under cover for an earlier display, then thin the seedlings. Give it full sun and free-draining soil, and keep cutting or deadheading. Our flower growing guide and flower sowing calendar cover the timing.

Ready to grow malope? Browse the varieties or learn the basics first.

Related categories: Malope · Cut Flowers · Annual Flowers · Pollinator Flowers · All Flower Seeds

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