Malopa

Family Malvaceae. Name: was already used in Ancient Greece. It is formed from two words 'malva' and 'ore', which can be translated as — similar to mallow.

Description: the genus comprises 3 species originating from the Mediterranean. Plants are annual. Stems glabrous or pubescent, erect, branched, 30-120 cm tall. Leaves arranged alternately, entire or indistinctly five-lobed, broadly ovate. Flowers solitary, large, axillary, violet-pink, red or white, surrounded by three large, heart-shaped bracts. Fruitlets numerous (up to 50), small, arranged in irregular rows around a common column (carpophore), forming a head. Up to 400 seeds per 1 g.

Native range - Spain and North Africa. An annual herbaceous plant with an erect branching stem about 100 cm tall. Leaves three-lobed, toothed. Petals of Malopa's unopened bud are covered not only by sepals but also by small leaflets positioned below them. When the flower opens, they form a firm base for the corolla, resembling a funnel, whose diameter often reaches 5-7 cm. In the original wild form it is reddish-purple with dark veins, whereas in garden varieties the color range is more diverse. Flowers are located in the axils of the leaves. Blooms from July until the frosts, and fruits abundantly. Seeds retain viability for up to 4 years.

Has a large-flowered variety (var. grandiflora L.) - growing in the same regions. Stems straight, well-branched, up to 120 cm tall, green with a dark-brown tint. Leaves arranged alternately, petiolate, rounded-ovate, cordate at the base. Flowers solitary, large, 7-9 cm in diameter, white, pink or purple, borne in the leaf axils. Blooms abundantly from June through autumn. It fruits. Has an interesting early form (f. praecox) - up to 60 cm tall, blooms from June to September. In cultivation since 1801, commonly called "summer mallow", to which it is not inferior in abundance and duration of flowering. The cultivar 'Vulcan' is distinguished by vigorous tall shoots and a splendid raspberry coloration of large flowers up to 8 cm in diameter. In 'White Queen' they are slightly smaller and have snow-white petals.

Location: sun-loving and cold-hardy.

Soil: not demanding with respect to soil and moisture, but develops better on fertile, well-drained sites.

Propagation: by sowing seeds in April-May directly into open ground. Shoots appear on the 14th day. Seedlings are thinned, maintaining a spacing of 30-40 cm.

Uses: recommended for creating tall groups, mixed borders, and decorating walls.