• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Carla Burke
  • John F Dean
  • Timothy Norton
  • Nancy Reading
  • r ranson
  • Jay Angler
  • Pearl Sutton
stewards:
  • paul wheaton
  • Tereza Okava
  • AndrĂ©s Bernal
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
gardeners:
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • M Ljin
  • Matt McSpadden

Malva Zebrina

 
Posts: 31
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
When I was in WV I had a nice vegetable garden. about 10 ft away there was an existing hedge of Malva Zebrina. The plant was robust and just over six ft., it was covered with aphids but also dripping with lacewings and ladybug larva. I never had any persistent problems in the garden with aphids. I wonder if this plant has been used as a companion or sacrifice planting.
 
pollinator
Posts: 3847
Location: Marmora, Ontario
597
4
hugelkultur dog forest garden fungi trees rabbit urban wofati cooking bee homestead
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Hi G.

I have always known it as Malva sylvestris, or French Mallow. I love it, and all hosts for the reproductive cycles of predatory insects. The other ones I see that simply swarm with predatory insects in-season are borage, lovage, and (though it's invasive) Japanese knotweed, which I wouldn't introduce, but will clear mechanically just before seeds form just to keep the predatory species around.

-CK
 
I don't have to be what you want me to be --Muhammad Ali ... this tiny ad is coming for you:
Learn Permaculture through a little hard work
https://wheaton-labs.com/bootcamp
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic