Zebrina Hollyhock Mallow

Building a butterfly garden this year? Make sure you have a Zebrina Hollyhock Mallow (Malva sylvestris 'Zebrina') in the mix. Butterflies and hummingbirds will be frequent visitors to this two-toned beauty, but rabbits will stay away.

A deep red violet stripes these two-inch lavender blooms, giving them the look of a pinwheel. Hardy from zones 4 to 8, Zebrina begins blooming in midsummer and can continue for four months -- all the way into fall.

The plants can grow three to four feet high, but are only 18 to 24 inches wide. Zebrina is a short-lived perennial, but it comes true from seed, and will resow freely in your garden. It likes full sun and is more heat resistant than most hollyhock mallows.

• Butterflies like a lot of sunlight, so locate your garden in a sunny area.


• If you live in a windy location, plant your butterfly-attracting plants near a building, fence, or hedge to protect them.


• Plant a variety of nectar-rich plants, as well as shrubs and evergreens for shelter.


• Since many butterflies and native flowering plants have co-evolved, try to put in some that are native to your area. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center provides lists of plants native to states and regions.


• Certain colors are particularly attracting to butterflies – red, yellow, pink, purple, or orange blooms that are clustered or flat-topped, with a short flower tubes are especially attractive to adult butterflies.


• Avoid using pesticides, especially around nectar-producing plants.


• Provide a shallow source of water – try a birdbath with pebbles lining the bowl.


• Place a rock in a sunny spot for butterfly basking and resting.


• Create a "puddling area" by digging a shallow hole filled with compost or manure where rainwater will collect and release essential salts and minerals.


• If you want butterflies to breed in your garden, put in some caterpillar food plants, such as parsley, milkweeds, asters, thistles, violets, clover, grasses, and Queen Anne’s Lace.


• Since butterflies need nectar throughout the entire adult phase of their lives, try to create a design that will allow for a continuous bloom – when one stops blooming, another starts.

Malva moschata and sylvestris
Mallow

Planting:

Set plants, 2 feet apart in full sun to light shade and a well-drained soil.

Maintenance:

Keep well- watered during the summer growing season.

Zones:

Zones 4-8

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