How to identify African mallows (Anisodontea)
African mallows, also known as Cape mallows
African mallows sports an upright, evergreen growth habit with lush, palmately lobed leaves featuring notably uneven teeth along their edges. This subshrub flourishes, reaching heights of 2-3 feet (60-90 cm) and producing a bounty of small but showy flowers. These blossoms, appearing throughout the growing season, exhibit a variety of hues from soft pink to deep purple and resemble miniature hibiscus flowers, each drawing the attention of pollinators such as bees and butterflies.
Lifespan: Perennial
Leaf Type: Evergreen
Palmately lobed leaves with uneven teeth along edges.
Small flowers with hues from pink to purple, resembling hibiscus.
Flowers have pale pink petals fading to mauve with dark veining.
Leaves are 3-lobed, up to 2.5 inches (6.35 cm) long with palmate veins.
Upright, heavily branched stems with color change from green to greyish-brown and bristly texture.
African mallows leaves are 3-lobed and range from triangular to elliptical in shape, measuring up to 2.5 inches (6.35 cm) in length. They have a palmately veined structure with hairs along the veins on both sides. The leaves are slightly aromatic and often exhibit a somewhat sticky texture.
The flowers of african mallows are small, about 1 inch (2.54 cm) in diameter, and are typically found singly or in pairs at the leaf axil. They feature pale pink petals that fade to mauve, with distinctive darker veining towards the base. The flowers bloom from spring through fall, showcasing their delicate appearance over an extended period. The symmetry and subtle color gradients of the petals make them an attractive study for plant enthusiasts.
African mallows's stems are upright and heavily branched, transitioning from green in their youth to reddish-brown and eventually to a greyish-brown as they mature. They are densely covered in fine, bristly hairs, giving them a rough texture. The stems typically measure about 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) in diameter. These distinctive features, including the noticeable color change and bristly texture, make african mallows's stems easily identifiable.
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Scientific Classification of African mallows
