Mellow mallow on Monday
Mmmmm, I do love Indian mallow (Abutilon palmeri). Those velvety, lime-green leaves and stems! Those Creamsicle-orange cupped blossoms!
Its soft-orange flowers pop against cobalt blue.
Its pettable green leaves soften the blue stucco wall in the back garden, unfazed by blasting sun and heat.
Mmmm, mellow mallow
In the front garden, deer shun those fuzzy leaves and ignore the blossoms too.
Both plants did get an infestation of small, blue caterpillars earlier this summer. They devoured the leaves, disfiguring the plants. I handpicked the caterpillars every few days for several weeks, and that took care of the problem.
The plants recovered quickly and have been blooming for weeks — glorious!
Indian mallow is a cold-tender perennial in Austin, rated hardy to zone 9 (20 to 25 degrees F) — we, of course, are zone 8b. I brought one home from Tucson a few years ago, and it survived one mild winter before succumbing to the winter of 2013. It’s such a wonderful summer performer, however, that I’ve decided it’s worth growing one or two as annuals, so this spring I put in a request at Vivero Growers, and they got some in for me right away. (Love that place!) I’ll enjoy these as long as they last. Here’s hoping for a mild winter.
All material © 2006-2015 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Beautiful Pam. I wonder if it would like full sun. Coming from Tuscon it should although I love it in your garden where it has filtered shade.
It’s in as much sun as I can give it, Jenny. By the blue wall that’s from late morning through mid-afternoon. Out front it’s from early afternoon through sunset. So yes, full sun should be good. —Pam
I’m surprised we don’t have this in Texas nurseries, it looks so attractive! The golden hues look great against the cobalt wall and I love its freeform shape. All of the blue accents in your yard are refreshing in our oppressive heat, fall can’t get here quickly enough!
It shows up now and then, I think. I’ve seen it growing in a garden in West Austin, anyway. My guess is, because it’s not really winter hardy here, it doesn’t always make the cut for nurseries. Then again, we get plenty of purple fountain grass, and it’s only winter hardy in mild winters, so who knows why we don’t see more Indian mallow? —Pam
Pam, you’re giving me some interesting alternatives for using this great plant, which of course is a native that’s fine in my zone 10. But…I’ve always had problems with scale with this plant, usually about the same time it’s getting overgrown and woody. Renewing it every couple years, or even growing it in as an annual in a container for summer are good possibilities. It’d look good against my blue fence too 😉
Yes, it would look good against your blue fence. You are right about this plant getting big. This is the second time I’ve grown it, and it’s much bigger than I remember, even with regular pruning early in the season. I don’t think I’ll have to worry about woodiness, as you do, because it’ll die back in our winter. —Pam
Lovely non-lickable mallow. Anything the deer don’t love, I do.~~Dee
I’m with you, Dee. Grasses, herbs, and fuzzy and scented leaves are my best choices outside the fence.
It is a pretty plant the flowers a nice bonus.
Yes, both flowers and foliage are quite pretty. —Pam
Wikipedia mentions a Texas Indian Mallow, different species, abutilon fruticosum,
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abutilon_fruticosum
Have you seen it? I have not.
I love globemallow and it’s various shades.
It’s lovely! I’ve not heard of the Texas Indian mallow, Brian, but I found it listed on the Wildflower Center’s website: http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ABFR3. The description says it’s readily eaten by deer, though, which surprises me since A. palmeri is ignored by deer in my garden. Maybe A. fruticosum isn’t as furry. —Pam
Great job capturing this plant! The bloom spikes are so graceful the way they cross to create that eye-catching pattern! I’ve noticed the native variety Brian mentions growing along woodland edges around the Bull Creek area, so I was eager to pick some up when they were available at the wildflower center sale last fall. Haven’t noticed any deer browsing yet, but the caterpillars did set one back earlier this summer… it is definitely a preferred larval host plant because they cleaned it up almost overnight! Otherwise this mallow is such an awesome plant, as it seems to do well in shadier spots where the limey leaves really stand out, and also in a sunnier spot as a nice backdrop for rock rose. -RB
I’ll have to brave the crowds at the next Wildflower Center sale, I guess, in order to find the native species. Thanks for sharing your experience with it, Ryan. —Pam
That plant is such a lovely touch in the color story of your garden. Perfect plant for the perfect spots. If it is attracting cats that way it must be close enough to the native variety to play nicely with wildlife and that is always a plus. I hope you’ll keep an eye out for butterflies or moths and report back so we can see what visitors it draws in!
If my kids were younger, we would have raised some of those caterpillars to see what they turned into. Alas for the teenage years! —Pam
Pam, I especially love with way it looks against the blue wall. Wish I could get my hands on some!
Contact Vivero Growers, Gina. They will order it for you. Only, at this point in the season, I’d wait until next spring. —Pam
Oooo, that is a pretty thing. I love, LOVE that color. I’m not fond of annuals, but I can see why you’d want it in your garden.