Welcome to the FN forum Annie!

It all depends on the species of Malva you have, there are so many of them in the Malvaceae family.

Do you know the full botanical name?

Lavatera thuringiaca ÂBarnsley that I grow is a tender perennial, but can be overwintered in a cold room.

All these species below are actually perennials, but in my garden IÂve never had the mother plant survive but are prolific self-seeders if let be to seed in the fall youÂll have them come back the following year.
Malva sylvestris 'Mauritiana' or 'Zebrina'
Malva moschata Musk Mallow
Lavatera trimestris

Sharon

Edit....
Lavatera trimestris is actually considered the annual mallow, but same thing, it will self-seed like crazy if you leave the seeds heads to scatter in the Fall.

Sharon

Usually I plant both. Lavetera has bigger flowers than the Malva. The flowers are more on the top of the plants of the Lavetera. But the Malva has stonger coloured viens running though the petals on the flowers. I always save seeds and plant a row in the garden. I bought shorter Lavetera seeds this year. The wind seems to knock it down so I thought maybe smaller would be better. Maybe I just plant them too thick. They are both really pretty.

I have the Zebrina type Malva's, remind me of Hollyhocks (which I just love, I have those seeds too but I think it is too late to plant in ground, may not flower), and as for the Lavatera I do not know. Also are Malva's taller and Lavatera lower to the ground? And would these Lavatera seeds do better if I started indoors or are they good to go directly in the ground, also is it too late to sow, also heard Lavatera seeds are sensitive??
They all look the same to me, they are all so pretty.

Thanks very much for the replys

Have a great day
Annie

The traditional line for drawing a distinction between Malva and Lavatera is the nature of the epicalyx (the additional row of floral parts below the sepals). In Lavatera these number 3 and are fused together at their base. In Malva they number 3 or less commonly 2, and are free (not fused together) but may be fused to the sepals.

The more common grown Malvas and Lavateras are

1) Lavatera trimestris, the annual Rose Mallow
2) "Olbias", that is Lavatera thuringiaca, cachemirana, x clementii and olbia. The first two are hardy perennials, and the last a somewhat tender shrub. The hybrids run the gamut from herbaceous perennial to hardy shrub. ('Barnsley' is x clementii, and is a shrub in some locations - with me it behaves as a perennial or shrub depending on how sheltered the microclimate is.)
3) "Bismalva" - Malva moschata and alcea, which are herbaceous perennials with dissected floral leaves.
4) Malva sylvestris, the common mallow, with prominent, and relatively few, petal veins.
5) Malva assurgentiflora (Lavatera assurgentiflora), a tender shrub from California.
6) Malva 'Bicolor' (Lavatera 'Bicolor'), a tenderish shrub from the Mediterranean.
7) Malva dendromorpha (Lavatera arborea), the tree mallow, which doesn't fall neatly into the annual/perennial/shrub trichotomy.

There are others occasionally grown as ornamentals, such the Australian Malva australiana (Lavatera plebeia).

Could I throw a corkscrew into this thread if you don't mind? I planted a Hardy Hibiscus this year and was told it was a member of the Mallow family. Is this true? Have a look at the pic and let me know please. Thanks

Yes, nearly every conception of the Mallow family (Malvaceae) includes mallows, abutllons, hibiscuses and cottons. Some conceptions include considerably more, incorporating plants such as cacao, kola, linden, baobab, kapok, durian, jute, etc.