Sun or shade. Nearly evergreen, this annual or perennial plant is considered a pantropical nuisance in the rest of the world, but here south-central Texas it is at home in many a backyard edge. Its deep taproots and somewhat tough stems can grow up to 3 feet tall and form spreading colonies, filling in around other plants and blurring the lines between lawn, groundcover and perennial. It can serve as a rough “better than mud” WaterSaver groundcover when mowed.
False mallow serves as a resource for pollinators. The “three-lobed” yellow-orange flowers resemble hibiscus and open in the afternoon. See horseherb / straggler daisy, a superficially similar but more delicate plant often growing in the same locations. Â
Three-lobed false mallow has been described as a treatment for many ailments, including ringworm.Â
Can be pulled from active planting areas when the soil is wet (otherwise it will break off from the long taproot and resprout later.) It can also be mowed for a rough groundcover. Left in place, it will reproduce abundantly; the fruit capsules can adhere to pets and socks. Â
A wild mallow weedÂ
