Commonly known as cheeseweed, dwarf mallow and roundleaf mallow.
One of the more common weeds found around Idaho and difficult to rid once mature mainly due to it’s lengthy taproot. Originally grown in Europe, many species of the Malva family have had success as a crop and natural remedy for some ailments. Common Mallow is closely related to the cotton plant and has history in the creation of the marshmallow. Beyond that, common mallow is often found in lawns, gardens, roadsides and gardens.
Aside from a healthy lawn, control of young mallow is best served by manual extraction. Just be sure to get the entire root. If the plant has grown into a mature stage, chemical control can be your best friend as the destruction of the root is more effective by systemic means. Most “over-the-counter” applications of herbicides are effective at killing the leaves but since the root can go very deep, various combinations of selective and non-selective herbicides may be necessary to fully control the population.
