White Musk Mallow is a Hardy Perennial (often short-lived).

It usually lives for 3-4 years, but it is an excellent self-seeder. Once established, it will gently drop seeds around its base, ensuring you always have fresh, healthy young plants coming through to replace the older ones.

Top Tip: The leaves are edible! They have a mild flavour and can be used as a salad green or a thickener for soups (like okra). The white flowers make a stunning, neutral garnish for cakes.

This is a tough, adaptable plant that is easy to raise from seed.

Germination:
Sow indoors from February to May, or directly outdoors in May/June. Sow seeds on the surface of moist compost and cover lightly with vermiculite. Keep warm (15-20°C). Germination takes 14-21 days.

Where to Sow:
They thrive in sun or partial shade. Unlike many silver-leaved plants that need dry soil, Mallow is happy in most average garden soils, including clay, as long as it isn't waterlogged.

Care While Growing:
The "Chelsea Chop": If the plant gets too tall or starts to flop open in mid-summer, cut the stems back by half. This encourages a fresh flush of leaves and a second wave of white flowers in autumn.

The pure white of the Mallow acts as a "palate cleanser" in the garden, calming down busy borders:

• 💜 Verbena Bonariensis: Purple & White. The tall, airy purple stems of Verbena float beautifully above the bushy white mound of the Mallow. Both are top-tier pollinator plants.
• 🌑 Scabious 'Black Knight': Monochrome Magic. Pair the snowy white Mallow with the almost-black Scabious for a sophisticated, designer look. The contrast in colour and shape (saucer vs. pincushion) is stunning.

Sow in spring. Flowers continuously from June to October.