# cheeseweed mallow (*Malva parviflora*) Cheeseweed mallow is a fun plant with soft, green leaves and pretty pink flowers. It grows in sunny places and can be found in gardens and fields. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 3 - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![cheeseweed mallow](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/%28MHNT%29_Malva_parviflora_-_Habitus.jpg&width=800) Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%28MHNT%29_Malva_parviflora_-_Habitus.jpg) ## Appearance The cheeseweed mallow has rounded, wavy-edged leaves resembling tiny lily pads, and small, pale white to lavender flowers often with darker veins. Its stems typically sprawl along the ground before rising upright, making it distinct from more erect mallow species. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Malvales - **Family:** Malvaceae - **Genus:** Malva ## Interesting facts - Early settlers and foragers often ate its nutritious leaves and seeds for sustenance! - Its unique fruit looks like a tiny wheel of cheese, giving it its memorable name! - This super tough plant can grow almost anywhere, even in disturbed and neglected soils! - You can often spot cheeseweed mallow bravely growing out of cracks in city sidewalks! ## Special abilities - **Survival Snack:** Cheeseweed mallow has edible leaves and seeds that provide a quick meal, helping it survive in many environments. - **Root Resilience:** Cheeseweed mallow can develop a deep taproot, helping it find water and nutrients in dry or compacted soils. - **Seed Spreader:** Its unique 'cheese wheel' fruits break into wedge-like segments, which are easily dispersed, aiding its reproduction. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-60 cm - **Spread:** 30-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to fall - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Annual - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits its small flowers for nectar and pollen. - **Eats:** [Grizzled Skipper](https://www.snappit.app/explore/grizzled-skipper) (*Pyrgus malvae*) — Larvae feed on the leaves of mallow plants. - **Eats:** Humans (*Homo sapiens*) — People can forage its nutritious leaves and seeds. ## Traits - [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always check with an adult before touching or picking plants. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify cheeseweed mallow? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is cheeseweed mallow? 10-60 cm ### How wide does cheeseweed mallow spread? 30-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on cheeseweed mallow? 0.5-1.5 cm ### When does cheeseweed mallow bloom? Spring to fall ### Is cheeseweed mallow edible? Yes ### Is cheeseweed mallow toxic? None ### What is cheeseweed mallow's lifecycle? Annual ## Where to spot - [Little Italy](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/little-italy) — California, US · Neighborhood - [Presidio Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/presidio-park) — California, US · Nature Reserve - [Cartwright Elementary School District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cartwright-elementary-school-district) — Arizona, US · Campus - [Golden Hill](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/golden-hill) — California, US · Neighborhood - [Naval Training Center San Diego](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/naval-training-center-san-diego) — California, US · Historic District [View all places to see cheeseweed mallow](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/cheeseweed-mallow) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Cheeseweed Mallow: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cheeseweed-mallow)