Althaea cannabina (Palm-leaf Marsh Mallow, Hemp-leaved Hollyhock) — small, cup-shaped lavender-pink to rose-purple blooms with dark magenta-purple anthers. A good pick for pollinators, fully hardy, full sun to reach its full flowering potential.
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🌿 Grown at our London nursery — collect in person or arrange local delivery
📦 Dispatched within 3 business days via Royal Mail
Product features
Botanical name: Althaea cannabina
Common name: Palm-leaf Marsh Mallow, Hemp-leaved Hollyhock
Height: 1.5m to 2.4m
Spread: 60cm to 1m
Foliage: Deeply-lobed, hairy green leaves resembling hemp foliage
Flower: Small, cup-shaped lavender-pink to rose-purple blooms with dark magenta-purple anthers
Attractive to wildlife: Yes; highly attractive to bees, butterflies, and other native pollinators
Soil Type: Free-draining chalk, loam, sand, or clay; prefers alkaline, lean soils
Drought tolerant: Yes, highly resilient once established
Hardy: Yes (RHS H7, down to below -20°C)
Position: Full sun to very light partial shade
Evergreen: No; deciduous, dies back completely in winter
Suitable for: Back or middle of the border, gravel gardens, prairie schemes, coastal gardens
Materials and care
Light: Requires full sun to reach its full flowering potential
Aspect: Best suited to the back of an open, south- or west-facing border
Soil type: Thrives in poor, moderately fertile, or alkaline soils
Drainage: Requires sharp drainage; struggles in heavy, wet winter clay
Watering: Water regularly until established; drought-tolerant once mature
Support: Self-supporting stems, though may need light staking in exposed sites
Deadheading: Cut back spent flower stems to prolong blooming into late autumn
End of season: Cut the plant down to the base in late winter or early spring
Fertiliser: Avoid rich fertilisers — excess nutrients cause weak, tall growth
Propagation: Best by seed or basal cuttings in spring — deep taproot resists division
