What is this plant?

[JaneG]

This plant is growing way out back where the wild things grow. It has very pretty little flowers that are way inside close to the main stem. It's about 3 feet tall and grew up through an old mound of sawdust out back where DH empties his dust collector.

It's an attractive plant, but I've no idea what it is. Probably some weed because it's out back where the old pasture and fence row plants still show up from years back.

So what do I have here?

[viktoria]

The common name "Cheeses" refers to the shape of the seed pods. It is a weedy mallow. Get rid of it!

[John]

Malva neglecta... I think it's pretty...

[JaneG]

Thanks! I think it's pretty too. I'll just let it go back there, perhaps it will overtake some of the uglier weeds! Since it's weedy and perhaps invasive, I won't move it to my more showy areas.

Thanks again!!

[wishiwere]

Yeppers. A weedy mallow, but they are pretty too. I have some I let go back in the wild areas for the critters too. Seed is seed for them, they care not where it comes from

My problem is ID'ying the good mallow from the bad in good gardens

[eyesoftexas]

It's difinitely a Malva.......relative to the hollyhock family.

[viktoria]

This mallow is a weed here but, to my surprise, I found it in a book on New Zealand native plants. I first found this in my garden when we moved to the farm 23 years ago. I have never (to my knowledge) allowed it to go to seed, yet it keeps appearing every year. I believe the seeds to be too heavy to be carried by wind, so either something is bringing it in or the seeds maintain their ability to germinate for that many years. In my Weeds class in college I learned that some weed seeds remain viable for 20+ years; perhaps this is one of those?

[eastwood2007]

Oh, I hate those things!