Malva subovata Princesse de Ligne - Mallow

The Lavatera maritima 'Princesse de Ligne', now renamed Malva subovata 'Princesse de Ligne', is a beautiful perennial shrub and bush that blooms all summer long, and even into the early days of autumn. Its delicate flowers, in cups, in two shades of pink, brighten up a beautiful grey and velvety foliage. It is a plant of rapid growth, generous, but short-lived. It will thrive in full sun and in dry, well-drained, light soil. Native to Mediterranean coasts, it is moderately hardy, but very drought-resistant and salt spray-tolerant. A very pretty plant for rockeries and flower beds.

Originally from the south of France, the seaside mallow is also known as Spanish mallow. It is mainly found on the Mediterranean coast, growing in gravel and between rocks, in warm and dry conditions. It is a woody perennial, even a shrub, with rough, grey stems. Hardy down to -7°C (19.4°F), this plant tolerates limestone and salt.

The cultivar 'Princesse de Ligne' looks very much like it, but its flowers are more distinctly coloured. Growing rapidly, it reaches between 60 cm (24in) and 1.5 m (5ft) in height with a spread of 1 m (3ft), depending on growing conditions. The numerous saucer-shaped flowers have five pale pink lilac petals, veined and speckled with fuchsia pink to magenta near the centre. They measure 4 cm (2in) in diameter. In our gardens, they bloom from June to October. In the Mediterranean region, flowering will be earlier. The foliage of this tree mallow is evergreen in winter, thick, and tomentose. The leaves are suborbicular in shape, with a greyish green, pastel colour, just like its flowers.

Combine the seaside mallow 'Princesse de Ligne' with other Mediterranean plants such as rockroses, lavenders, spurges, and teucriums. All these plants for dry terrain and seaside are ideal for landscaping rockeries, well-drained flower beds, and other flower beds with rocky or sandy soil. You can also mix it with other shrubby mallows and arborescent wormwoods 'Powis Castle' in a small flowering hedge.