How to grow Mauritanian mallow in the garden?

Most mallows grow near farms, in vacant lots, or in landfills, wherever they find soils rich in nitrates.

Description of mallow

It is also called Mauritanian mauve, large mauve, woodland mauve, sylvestre mauve.
Mallow can be confused with lavatera or hollyhocks. To recognize them, you must examine its flower: it has a pink corolla with 5 indented petals at the edge in the shape of a heart, a calyx with 5 lobes lined with a calicle with 3 leaflets, and numerous stamens united by their net in a mass prominent, 12 stigmas and later 12 carpels arranged in a crown in the fruit.

Flower vocabulary:

The corolladesignates the part of the flower formed by all of its petals,The chaliceconsists of all the sepals.Caliclerefers to the leaves, usually green and small in size, which lie between each sepal to form a double calyx to protect the flower.The stigmais the end of a carpel forming the pistil of a flower. The function of the stigma is to capture the pollen.The carpelencloses the eggs. It turns into fruit after fertilization.

Characteristics of mallow (malva sylvestris)

The purple of Mauritania, an annual, biennial, and perennial are considered. It can reach 2 meters in height with ivy-shaped leaves. It is often present in the seeds of field flowers.
Its flowers are honeyed and very attractive to a multitude of insects. They appear from June to September.

How to cultivate mallow?

Mallow prefers partial shade at the edge of woods in limestone and clay soils provided they are not too compact.
It is particularly sensitive to rust which makes its leaves unfit for consumption.
Mallows are sown directly in place among other field plants from April and bloom in July. The first year the mauves hardly exceed 1 meter in height. It can then reappear in the second and third years as a perennial.
Sowing in July-August, the mallows do not flower until the following year and present a greater development than the first year.

Using mallow in cooking

The dried flowers and leaves are used in medicinal preparations. In cooking, its leaves can be eaten cooked and raw in salads when they are very young. Flowers are decorative and can add color to dishes.