There are a lot of wildflowers I can recognise at a glance – ‘Oh, that’s a forget-me-not, knapweed, mallow …’ – but, in many cases, there are several species of these flowers and I’m not sure which I’m seeing. So, I’m trying to make more of an effort to work out which is which. Here’s an example.
These two species of mallow look very similar to me, and they grow in similar habitats, in waste ground, along our road verges, beside footpaths. Their beautiful flowers are much of a muchness, though the flowers of Common mallow have dark purple stripes, whereas those of Musk mallow are finer and pale pink, and their petal shapes are also different. However, it’s the leaves that really clinch their identification, as you can see from the photos below.
Common mallow (Malva sylvestris)
According to the Wildlife Trusts website, ‘Certain parts of common mallow are edible (leaves, flowers and seeds) and there is evidence that the Romans may have deliberately cultivated the plant to be used for food and medicine’.
Musk mallow (Malva moschata)
As well as the deeply lobed leaves that distinguish Musk mallow from Common mallow, the flowers also emit a musky perfume, which the Common mallow does not have. And that smell is, of course, how this plant got its common name.
