Malva alcea aka Pink Mallow

Malva alcea, also known as greater musk-mallow, cut-leaved mallow, vervain mallow, or hollyhock mallow, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the mallow family. It is native to southwestern, central, and eastern Europe, as well as southwestern Asia, spanning from Spain to southern Sweden and eastward to Russia and Turkey. The plant can grow up to 50-125 cm tall, with stems covered in stellate hairs. Its leaves are palmately lobed with five to seven blunt lobes, with basal leaves on the lower stem being shallowly lobed, while those higher on the stems are deeply divided with digitate finger-like lobes. Vervain mallow produces bright pink, unscented flowers that are 3.5-6 cm in diameter and appear singly near the apex of corymbose racemes growing from the leaf axils during summer to early fall. It is most commonly found in drier soils in thickets, along paths, and in waste places and can grow at altitudes of up to 2,000 m in central Europe. The plant has been widely grown outside of its native range as an ornamental plant, with several cultivars existing, such as 'Fastigata,' an upright form, and 'Alba,' a white flowered form. However, it can also escape from cultivation and become naturalized in some areas, such as the northeastern United States, where it is often confused with Malva moschata. As a houseplant, Vervain Mallow is rare but not challenging to grow, requiring regular watering and long-lasting, direct light less than one foot from a window. It thrives in well-draining soil and may benefit from gentle, organic fertilizer during the peak growing season.