Plant Library

Other Names:  Checker Mallow

Description:

A pretty variety presenting tall spikes of brilliant lilac-pink blooms with white centers and purple stripes; an upright perennial great for the middle of a border; cut fading flower spikes to the ground to encourage a second flush of blooms in autumn

Ornamental Features

Party Girl Prairie Mallow has masses of beautiful spikes of lilac purple round flowers with pink overtones, white eyes and purple stripes rising above the foliage from early to mid summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its lobed leaves remain dark green in colour throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Party Girl Prairie Mallow is an herbaceous perennial with a rigidly upright and towering form. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Party Girl Prairie Mallow is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Party Girl Prairie Mallow will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity extending to 3 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 18 inches apart. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for acidic soils, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.