Plant Details

Malva pusilla

Small mallow, Dwarf Mallow, Low mallow

Back

Explore the size, hardiness, soil, light, edible uses and harvest period of Malva pusilla.

Use this plant

Log in to add this plant to your recipes.

Log in

Common names

38 names · 27 languages
EnglishYour language
  • Dwarf Mallow
  • Low mallow
  • Running Cheeseweed[2]
+1 more nameShow fewer names
Other languages (26)
Dutch
  • Rond kaasjeskruid[2]
French
  • Mauve fluette[2]
  • mauve à feuilles rondes[2]
  • Mauve à petites feuilles[2]
+1 more nameShow fewer names
  • Petite mauve
Arabic
  • خباز صغير[2]
  • خبيزة ضئيلة[2]
Asturian
Chinese (Simplified)
  • 圆叶锦葵[2]
Chinese (Traditional)
  • 圓葉錦葵[2]
Czech
  • sléz nizounký[2]
Danish
  • Liden katost[2]
Eastern Mari
  • корактуара[2]
Estonian
  • ümaralehine kassinaeris[2]
Finnish
  • kylämalva[2]
German
  • Kleinblütige Malve[1]
  • Nordische Malve[2]
Hungarian
  • Apró mályva[2]
Japanese
  • ナガエアオイ[2]
Korean
  • 둥근잎아욱[2]
Lithuanian
  • Apskritalapė dedešva[2]
Norwegian
  • dvergkattost[2]
Polish
  • ślaz drobnokwiatowy[2]
Romanian
  • Nalbă mică[2]
Russian
  • Мальва приземистая[2]
  • просвирник приземистый[2]
Slovak
  • slez nizučký[2]
Slovenian
  • drobnocvetni slezenovec[2]
Spanish
  • Malva de hoja redonda[1]
  • Malva pequeña[2]
Swedish
  • vit kattost[2]
Ukrainian
  • Калачики дрібненькі[2]
  • Калачики круглолисті[2]
Welsh
  • Hocysen fân-flodeuog[2]
Sources & name notes (2)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Malva pusilla Sm. ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • Kleinblütige Malve (DE); Small Mallow (EN); Malva de hoja redonda (ES) — VernacularName.tsv, line 164360; taxon 3XRBH.
[2] Malva pusilla — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • Small Mallow — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • Mauve à petites feuilles — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • Mauve fluette — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • sléz nizounký — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • Liden katost — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • ümaralehine kassinaeris — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • Мальва приземистая — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • dvergkattost — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • Running Cheeseweed — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • mauve à feuilles rondes — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • kylämalva — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • malva — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • خبيزة ضئيلة — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • خباز صغير — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • Nordische Malve — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • Apskritalapė dedešva — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • ナガエアオイ — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • 圆叶锦葵 — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • vit kattost — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • 圓葉錦葵 — results[0].names[20]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • Rond kaasjeskruid — results[0].names[21]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • Калачики дрібненькі — results[0].names[22]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • ślaz drobnokwiatowy — results[0].names[23]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • drobnocvetni slezenovec — results[0].names[24]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • Nalbă mică — results[0].names[25]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • просвирник приземистый — results[0].names[26]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • корактуара — results[0].names[27]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • Apró mályva — results[0].names[28]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • Калачики круглолисті — results[0].names[29]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • 둥근잎아욱 — results[0].names[30]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • Hocysen fân-flodeuog — results[0].names[31]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • Malva pequeña — results[0].names[32]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.
  • slez nizučký — results[0].names[33]; taxon id 418222; Malva pusilla.

General information

Scientific name: Malva pusilla
Accepted name (Kew): Malva pusilla Sm. View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1] [2]
Botanical family: Malvaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Malva (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Small mallow, Dwarf Mallow, Low mallow
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Herbaceous, Ground cover
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 0.30 m
Spread: - m
Growth rate: None
Foliage: None

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 5-9
Soil moisture:
Moist
Soil:
Sand (light) Loam (medium) Clay (heavy)
pH:
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Light:
Partial shade, Full sun

Uses

Edible parts:
Leaves, Seed
Edibility rating:
(4)
Medicinal rating:
(2)
Functions:
Dye

Description

Leaves can be consumed both raw and cooked and have a mild pleasant taste. They are suitable for salads and are very tasty, but may have a less pronounced flavor than the leaves of other species, such as the annual M. verticillata 'Crispa' or the perennials M. alcea and M. moschata. Seeds can be eaten raw or cooked, preferably before they are fully ripe. The seeds have a pleasant nutty flavor, but they are quite small and difficult to harvest.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 01/07
Harvest ends: 30/09

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 242433; name ID 2503651; Malva Tourn. ex L.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 614691; name ID 2503981; Malva pusilla Sm..

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Malva pusilla

    Taxonomic data from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20.

    Supports: Taxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: COL 2026-08-20, NameUsage.tsv line 591009, ID 3XRBH: Malva pusilla Sm. (accepted).

    Source checked on .