Malva verticillata var. crispa
Crisped mallow, curled mallow, Curled Mallow
(c) Natalya Ivanova, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Natalya Ivanova · licence
Family: Malvaceae · Type: Annual · Not Native
Malva verticillata var. crispa (Crisped mallow) is a non-native California annual in the Malvaceae family, recognized by wavy leaf margins and papery calyx.
Crisped mallow is a naturalized annual found in southern California coastal areas in disturbed, urban places and gardens at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces white flowers with pale lavender-pink tips, 5 to 7 millimeters long. Growing with erect stems 10 to 20 centimeters tall and sparsely covered in stellate hairs, it develops wavy-margined leaves with typically 5 distinct lobes. Its leaves feature papery stipules approximately 6 millimeters long and curved, with blades generally larger than 5 centimeters. The fruit forms distinctive segments 8 to 11 in number, radially ridged and approximately 3 millimeters across.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Co-occurs with 8 species; distinguished by wavy leaf margins and papery calyx
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed, urban places, gardens
Elevation: < 100 m
Outside California: apparently native to eastern Asia, widely cultivated, especially in France
Bloom period
Malva verticillata var. crispa blooms May-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Pelargonium: Malva has symmetrical bowl-shaped flowers; Pelargonium has irregular flowers with two upper petals distinct from three lower.; vs Sidalcea: Malva has 3 bracts forming collar below flower; Sidalcea has no bract ring (or just 1-3 tiny bracts).; vs Hibiscus: Malva has small flowers with 3 bracts; Hibiscus has large showy flowers with many fused bracts.; vs Alcea: Malva has smaller flowers (<6 cm) with 3 bracts; Alcea has huge flowers (>6 cm) with 5-11 bracts.; vs Malvella: Malva is upright and green; Malvella is prostrate forming gray-fuzzy ground mats.
Frequently asked questions
Is Malva verticillata var. crispa native to California?
No. Malva verticillata var. crispa is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Malva verticillata var. crispa bloom?
Malva verticillata var. crispa blooms May-Aug.
What plant family does Malva verticillata var. crispa belong to?
Malva verticillata var. crispa is in the Malvaceae family, genus Malva.
What habitat does Malva verticillata var. crispa grow in?
Malva verticillata var. crispa grows in Disturbed, urban places, gardens.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Malva arborea — Tree mallow
- Malva assurgentiflora — Island mallow
- Malva assurgentiflora subsp. assurgentiflora — Northern island mallow
- Malva assurgentiflora subsp. glabra — Southern island mallow
- Malva multiflora — Cretan mallow
- Malva neglecta — Common mallow
- Malvaceae sp. — Mallow family
- Malvella leprosa — Alkali-mallow
- Malvella sp.
- Modiola caroliniana — Modiola
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.