Flowering Plants With Leaves That Resemble Small Hollyhock Leaves

Lavatera

• One mallow family member that is smaller than the common hollyhock but shares hollyhock-like leaves is lavatera, sometimes known as "bush mallow" or "tree mallow." One of the most common lavatera species is Lavatera trimestris, an annual plant that reaches 2 to 4 feet tall with a shrubby growth habit. Blooming in summer and early fall, this lavatera features pink, white or bi-colored flowers. The leaves are somewhat more rounded than those of the hollyhock, but have the same lobed, coarse appearance.

Malva

• Another plant that looks very much like a miniature hollyhock is malva. Some malvas have deeply divided leaves, but the most common ornamental forms like Malva sylvestris "Zebrina" have the same lobed leaves and hollyhock-like flowers as other members of the Malvaceae clan. Malva sylvestris flowers come in shades of purple or blue purple, sometimes striped with white. They have the same upright growth habit as the hollyhock, but are generally smaller in stature.

Sidalcea

• Sidalcea or prairie mallow is a North American genus in the mallow family. There are about 20 species of sidalcea and a number of hybrids, especially the well known "Elsie Heugh," a Sidalcea malviflora offspring. The flowers are smaller and more delicate than those of hollyhocks or lavatera, blooming in shades of white, pink or pink-purple. Small lobed leaves appear on plants that grow up to about 3 feet tall. These perennial mallows are often found in herbaceous garden borders.

Mallow Recognition Features

• Large or small, Malva family members' leaves are often covered with coarse or velvety hairs. The flowers are often borne in spikes on woody or fibrous stalks. Many malvas, including hollyhocks and sidalcea self-seed readily. The flowers and leaves also bear a resemblance to those of hibiscus, a tropical relative, as well as rose of Sharon (hardy hibiscus), which is larger, with a shrubby or tree-like growth habit.