Malva arborea
Environmental Weed (2024)
Common names
tree mallow
Synonyms
Lavatera arborea; Malva dendromorpha M.F.Ray (1998)
Family
Malvaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
MALARB
Conservation status
Not applicable
Habitat
Terrestrial. Waste places, cultivated land, Coastal sites.
Detailed description
Stout biennial herb, usually with a single stem up to 2 m tall. Stems hairy when young, becoming hairless and woody at base when older. Leaves velvety to the touch, with 5-7 lobes, up to 20 cm across. Lilac to purple flowers arranged in clusters at end and along upper parts of the stem. 6-8 seeds per fruit.
Similar taxa
There are several other large Malva species that have naturalised in New Zealand.
Flowering
August, September, October, November, January, February, March, April, May.
Flower colours
Violet/Purple
Life cycle
Spreads by seed, 6-8 seeds produced by each fruit. Dispersed by soil movement.
Year naturalised
1870
Origin
W. and S. Europe, N. Africa
Reason for introduction
Ornamental
Tolerances
Prefers high light, thrives in disturbed sites and can tolerate salt.
Etymology
arborea: From the Latin arbor ‘tree’, meaning tree-like
Environmental Weed (2024)
This plant is named in a list of environmental weeds in New Zealand 2024 prepared by DOC. 759 candidate species were considered for inclusion on this new comprehensive list of environmental weeds in New Zealand. The species considered were drawn from published lists of weed species, lists of plants that must be reported or managed by law if observed, existing national and regional programmes and agreements for pest management, and species already managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC). Candidate species were then assessed to see if they were fully naturalised and whether they have more than minor impacts in natural ecosystems. Read the full report here.
Taxonomic notes
Long known as Lavatera arborea, in 1998 this species was transferred to Malva by Ray (1998).
References and further reading
Ray, M.F. 1998: New combinations in Malva (Malvaceae: Malveae). Novon 8: 288-295.
Hill, S.R. 2009: Notes on California Malvaceae including nomenclatural changes and additions to the flora. Madroño 5.