Australian Native Plants

  Malva preissiana (Native Hollyhock)


Malva preissiana photo
Malva preissiana (labelled as 'Lavatera plebeia', cultivated) as Cranbourne Botanic Gardens, Victoria, Australia

Photograph by Melburnian. Some rights reserved.    (view image details)




NATIVE HOLLYHOCK FACTS

distribution map showing range of Malva preissiana in Australia

Map is from The Atlas of Living Australia web site, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License


Common Name
Native Hollyhock

Other Names
Australian Hollyhock

Description
The Native Hollyhock is a member of the Malvaceae family. It is an open upright perennial shrub. The leaves are broadly ovate, up to 20 cm long with five to seven lobes. The leaf lobes are broad with toothed margins. Both surfaces of the leaves are hairy. The flowers are pink lilac or white and grow in clusters up to 25 cm long. It flowers from August to March.

Habitat
Rocky islands, stony plains, valley floors, road verges.

Distribution
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia

Growth Characteristics
Height: 4m
Classification
Class:Magnoliopsida
Order:Malvales
Family:Malvaceae
Genus:Malva
Species:preissiana
Common Name:Native Hollyhock