Cotton, gumbo, and marshmallows.

Certain plant families have provided us with important crops that have altered the course of civilization. The grass family is probably the most important. The rose family has given us stone fruits (Prunus) and pome fruits (Malus).

But the little family Malvaceae, the Mallow family, provided us with cotton, probably the world's most important fiber crop. Mallows also provide us with the original ingredient used to make marshmallows. Okra, the key ingredient in gumbo, is a mallow. For gardeners in California, mallows provide some very useful, showy, summer-flowering perennials and shrubs. Some are spectacular! It can be hard to find easy-to-grow flowers in July and August here, so the mallow family members are worth a look.

Flowers of Mallow family members are quite recognizable. From hollyhocks to cotton to okra, tropical hibiscus to Confederate rose, the similarity of flower structure makes it easy to see the familial relationship.

The annual and biennial members of the family are well-known. Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) are Mediterranean flowers that will reseed themselves merrily about your garden. Most are true biennials: seeded now, hollyhocks will grow a clump of leaves through the winter, then bloom in spring and early summer. And I mean bloom! 6 – 10' tall spikes, with dozens of flowers over many weeks. Dwarf forms are available, but why bother? Spikes of stately hollyhocks give an old-fashioned look to any garden. Okra (Hibiscus esculentus) and cotton (Gossypium) are summer-grown annual crops. California's cotton crop is worth about $1 billion annually, grown on 700- 800,000 acres.

Anyone who has traveled to Hawai'i or Southern California knows the familiar Tropical hibiscus, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. If you want to grow it here, be aware that it will be damaged – probably very badly – every winter. Cold weather in 1990, '98, and January 2007 killed most of them here. I do have a customer who has taken protective measures every winter: seedling blankets and holiday lights (big bulbs, not twinkly) have allowed her plants to become good-sized shrubs. If you don't want to hassle with that, grow them in pots and move them to a sheltered spot each winter, or pull them inside (check for aphids first!) by Hallowe'en.

A note about edibility

Hibiscus flowers are often listed on 'edible flower' lists, and herbal teas containing Hibiscus are common. Commonly these are referring, I assume, to H. rosa-sinensisBut some species have medicinal properties, flowers of some species interact with prescription medications, and some have reported adverse reactions. I wouldn't eat any species unless I had it correctly identified and was sure of its safety. There are some useful references at www.hibiscus.org

You can get the same showy flower on a hardy plant with rose of sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), which will grow anywhere from Idaho to San Diego (as well as in Hawai'i). The flowers are about 3 inches across and borne along the branches in great profusion.Loves heat, and grows slowly into a tree if you allow it to, but one annual pruning can keep it any height you prefer. Sterile triploid varieties such as 'Diana' set no seed, which prolongs the bloom and avoids seedlings. Use rose of sharon as you would crape myrtle: a large shrub or small tree with showy summer flowers.

You can get even bigger hibiscus flowers on a shorter plant that is equally hardy. Just plant Hibiscus moscheutos, sometimes called Rose-mallow. These have blooms that are as much as ten inches across! The foliage is bold and attractive. Then the plant dies to the ground in winter, at which time you can cut it completely down. Varieties range from 3 – 6' tall. Another great addition to the kids' garden.

There are several other species in the genus Hibiscus. H. coccineus grows just like H. moscheutos, but has narrow leaves and bright red flowers. It is an elegant plant, though less spectacular. H. cannabinus, as the name implies, has leaves that look like Cannabis (but which do not, repeat do not, contain the active ingredient). Oddly, under certain weather conditions the leaves also smell like marijuana. This subtropical species of African origin, called Kenaf, is grown for fiber.

Two related shrubs have become common in northern California landscapes for their long bloom season and ease of care. Both are tolerant of full, hot sun, and drought.

Blue hibiscus (Alyogyne huegelii) is a somewhat coarse looking shrub that gets to 6' or more, and blooms nearly continuously with purple hibiscus flowers. The freeze of January '07 killed many of these locally, but they usually get through our winters here.

Two species of Tree mallow (Lavatera) are also in the trade. L. maritima has light pink flowers with a darker rose veination and soft grey-green leaves, but is kind of leggy. L. thuringiaca blooms longer, nearly year-around, with purplish-pink flowers, and has a denser habit. Both take well to occasional hard pruning. My plant of the latter had sprawled nearly 15' across when I decided to hack it to the ground this spring. It has forgiven me and resprouted nicely.

Orange is an unusual color in the garden, and one group within Malvaceae is notable for flowers in shades of orange as well as tolerance for hot, dry locations. There are several species of Globe mallows (Sphaeralcea-- just try to pronounce it! I say S-fare-allsee-uh), most somewhat weedy looking but whose flowers redeem the plants' ranginess. S. incana and S. munroana are unique summer-blooming additions to the dry landscape.

One member of the family is a shade favorite here. Abutilon is sometimes called Flowering maple – a confusing common name, since it is not even remotely related to maples! The hibiscus-like flowers are in warm shades of pink, orange, red, and also white, and Abutilon will bloom in anything from morning sun to full shade. I believe we should expand the climate range given in the Sunset Western Garden Book (8,9, 12-24), as I have had little or no damage on mine during freezing weather ranging down to the mid-teens. One gardener I know also grows them indoors with good results.

About those marshmallows
Althaea officinalis, the Marsh mallow, is an Old World herb that has been used in cooking and for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. As the name implies, it will grow in swampy soils. Introduced into North America hundreds of years ago, it has naturalized in the eastern states. The roots contain starch (37%), mucilage (11% -- the same stuff that makes okra slimy), and pectin (11%). The sap was combined with sugar and beaten until fluffy, then cooked. Nowadays corn starch, sugar, corn syrup, and gelatin are used instead. Mmmmm. S'mores, anyone?

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© 2008 Don Shor, Redwood Barn Nursery, Inc., 1607 Fifth Street, Davis, Ca 95616
www.redwoodbarn.com
Feel free to copy and distribute this article with attribution to this author. Click here for Don's other Davis Enterprise articles