The mug mallow (or poplar rose) is not only a visual enrichment for every perennial border, but also a particularly long-lasting cut flower. Since the plants in one location can provide colorful flowers for years, many hobby gardeners are somewhat unclear about the lifespan of this plant.

Cup mallows self-seed

The mug mallow is not hardy

The cup mallow originally comes from the Mediterranean region and is not hardy. Nonetheless, the recurrence of flowering in one spot without further care makes some gardeners suspect that this pretty blooming flower overwinters in the ground and therefore often grows up again in the same spot. In reality, however, cup mallows produce a large number of seeds after flowering, which eventually fall to the ground and then sprout new plants the following year. As a result, it actually looks as if the annual cup mallow is a perennial perennial.

Cup mallows reliably sow themselves

If you would like to let your cup mallow grow in the garden every year, you really don't need to do anything else. As long as the chosen location is not taken up by other strong-growing plants, the cup mallow usually self-seeds very reliably. However, it can also happen that cup mallows gradually spread more and more in a garden due to the spread with the wind and various animals. However, this spread is very unproblematic in comparison with some other plants, since the young plants of the cup mallow in unsuitable locations can be recognized and removed very easily.

Sow the cup mallow in a controlled manner

If you want to keep the scepter firmly in your hand over your garden design, you can also control the propagation and spread of the cup mallow yourself. All you have to do is:

  • carefully pick off the seed pods in good time before they ripen
  • store the seeds in a dry and dark place
  • Sow the cup mallow at the desired location from April to early June

Make sure to only harvest the cup mallow seed pods in dry weather, otherwise the seeds can easily mold during storage.

tips

Unfortunately, cup mallows are relatively frequently attacked by diseases such as mallow rust or soil fungi. The best measure in such a case is to simply change the location for growing cup mallow.

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