Tuesday, January 31, 2017

island mallow

Malva assurgentiflora or island mallow is native to the Channel Islands. I used to see it all the time in the Salinas Valley, where I knew it as Lavatera (the former name of the genus until it was recently changed); evidently it has established itself on the mainland. It's a striking plant that gets my attention wherever I find it. While touring Anacapa Island it looked like it had been planted as part of a restoration project. Here it is at the native plant garden at the Channel Islands National Park visitors center in Ventura, where we went a few days after our excursion.

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