The Cape Mallow is an easy to grow beautiful upright evergreen subshrub that blooms profusely from spring until frost or all year long in southern temperate climates. The prolific small showy flowers resemble a small hibiscus ranging from pink to dark purple that bees and butterflies find attractive. This plant is not picky about soil but it does need good drainage. Once established, modest water requirements make it a colorful addition to a drought-tolerant garden. Cape Mallows prefer morning sun and partial shade in the afternoon. It can be planted in more heavily shaded areas but does not bloom as much and the stems tend to get scraggly. A light frost will make the foliage drop but it will usually rejuvenate in the spring, however, it may not survive a severe winter. The spent flowers will drop off of the plant so deadheading is not needed. Prune at the beginning of spring to encourage blooming and to maintain a bushier shape. The dense foliage makes it a good plant to trim into a tree-form topiary specimen. The dwarf varieties are very well suited for container planting. Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: Generally a tough, disease-resistant plant that pests rarely bother. May be susceptible to Puccinia malvacearum (mallow rust). Watch for aphids, spider mites, and whiteflies. More information on Anisodontea .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry
Available space
12 inches-3 feet; 3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Ovate; Palmatifid
Leaf margin
Crenate; Dentate; Serrate
Leaf feel
Soft
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
3-lobed triangular to elliptical palmately veined up to 2.5" in length with hairs along the veins on both faces. Leaves are slightly aromatic and often somewhat sticky.
Flower color
Pink; Red/Burgundy
Flower value
Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Flowers are small about 1" and are found singly or in pairs at the leaf axil. The 5 petals are a pale pink fading to white with darker veining towards the base and flower from spring through fall.
Bloom time
Fall; Spring; Summer; Winter
Fruit type
Schizocarp
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver; Green; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Stems are hairy, bristly, upright and branched changing from green, reddish-brown to a greyish-brown with age.