Malva arborea Tree-mallow

A Mediterranean-Atlantic species which has a strongly coastal distribution in Britain and Ireland. It is a tall, softly-downy plant with ivy-shaped leaves, which produces large pinkish-purple mallow which have a prominent, dark centre. Plants usually produce leafy rosettes in their first year and then flower just once before they die, either the year after, or in the following year; i.e. they are monocarpic. It prefers nutrient enriched habitats such as sea cliffs frequented by seabirds and it is frost-sensitive. Tree Mallow is commonly grown in gardens and inland records of this species are almost always from garden escapes. It is widespread around the Welsh coast and there are native populations in various places on the cliffs of south Gower. Elsewhere in West Glamorgan it is almost certainly a garden escape.

Native (but also a garden escape away fro the south Gower coast)