Sidalcea

Prairie mallow. Reminding one of a miniature hollyhock these garden varieties of mallow are easy, reliable plants for a reasonable soil in the sun. Although plants can be short lived, especially in heavier clay soils cutting back after flowering will help encourage fresh foliage. Flowering from June till August the plants have the tidy habit of shedding old flowers as they fade, keeping the plant looking neat and tidy.

The flowers produce abundant nectar and pollen which is attractive to a wide range of insects including bumblebees, hoverflies and beetles, while the foliage is palatable to the larvae of a range of garden moths.