Tree Mallow....

Has anyone else got one of these growing in their gardens?

The birds must have dropped the seed sometime last Autumn right outside my front door.As it was growing I stupidly thought it was a Hollyhock but it just kept growling all through the winter months and has hopefully stopped growing but since it has been in flower the bees have loved it and the tree has been in flower for over a month although some of the older flowers are now setting seed

I don't know whether it will die off for good as the year progresses and I have to keep taking off some of the older leaves when they start to droop natuarally and to allow the postman to get to the front door

Also noticed this morning other insects underneath some of the leaves so the tree is providing habit for all manner of creatures to hide in safety which can't be bad

Anyway,here she is.....

 

They're native to the south west, they're perenials down here, mainly grow on the beaches

 

Thanks for that info Zigs.I can't say I have seen any growing wild only the small mallow types some of which have also turned up in my garden so I can only assume wherever the wild bird seed is grown before harvest then that is when all these different seeds get mixed in.

I have in the past bought from the shops what I thought was Niger seed especially for the Goldfinches only to find when some of it falls to the ground and germinates that is actually thistle seed so I think sometimes we are being conned somewhere along the line

 

I bet thats where it came from Kandy, you get pot plants from the mixes a lot too.