Weeds of Australia - Fact Sheet

Top Scientific Name Synonyms Family Common Names Origin Naturalised Distribution Notes

Scientific Name

Malva arborea

Synonyms

Malva dendromorpha M.F. Ray
Lavatera arborea L.

Family

Malvaceae

Common Names

bush mallow, Cornish tree mallow, Irish toilet paper, lavatera, tree mallow, tree-mallow, velvet tree-mallow

Origin

Native to north-western Africa (i.e. northern Algeria and Tunisia), the Azores, the Madeira Islands, the Canary Islands and western and southern Europe (i.e. Ireland, the UK, France, Portugal, Spain, Albania, Greece, Italy and Yugoslavia).

Naturalised Distribution

Widely naturalised in the temperate regions of southern Australia (i.e. in the coastal districts of central New South Wales, in southern Victoria, in Tasmania, in the southern parts of South Australia and in south-western Western Australia).

Also naturalised in south-western USA (i.e. California and Oregon), Mexico, South America (i.e. Argentina and Chile), South Africa and New Zealand.

Notes

Tree mallow (Malva dendromorpha) is regarded as a significant environmental weed in Western Australia, and as an environmental weed in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.