Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Grass
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Middle Africa
-
Types
Perennial Grass
Malva
Number of Varieties
153
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Forest margins, Tropical regions, waterways, Wet lands, Woodlands
gardens, Grassland, Homesteads, Subtropical climates, tropical environments
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-119-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
-
Sunset Zone
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
21,22
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
120.00 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Sandy Brown
Salmon
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Drought, Variety of soil types
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Budding, Seedlings
Stem Cutting, Tip cutting, Vegetative Reproduction
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering, Water more in summer
It cannot sustain wet-feet, Keep the Soil well drained, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water frequently while growing, Water more in summer, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
A hard prune may be necessary if the plant becomes woody, Cut leaves after fall, Cut or pinch the stems, Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness, Prune for shortening long shoots, Prune in early summer, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, organic fertlizers
Apply 10-10-10 amount, Balanced liquid fertilizer, Do not fertilize new plants until at least a month, Use a low phosphate fertilizer to improve the quality of the blooms
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Red blotch
Aphids, Mealybugs, Red spider mite, Scale, Thripes, Whiteflies
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Drought, Variety of soil types
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Flying insects
Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Asthma, breathing problems
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Borders, Landscape Designing
Beauty Benefits
-
Hair Conditioner, Prevents greying of hair, Prevents Premature Baldness, Promotes Healthy Hair, Promotes healthy skin, Speed hair growth
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Amazing growth rate, Food for animals, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shelter for wildlife, Wildlife, Windbreak
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders, Wounds
anti-inflammatory, Diuretic, Hair Loss, High blood pressure, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Flowers, Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Other Uses
Food for animals, Used As Food
Culinary use, Employed in herbal medicine, Jam, Jelly, Making Shampoo, Oil is used for aromatherapy, Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Showy Purposes, Traditional medicine, Use in Chinese herbology, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for bedding in gardens, Used for fragrance, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in making beverages, Used in paper industry, Used in salads, Used to make hair tonic
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Container, Foundation, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM purpureum 'Prince'
Hibiscus hirtus—Lesser Mallow
Common Name
Elephant Grass
Lesser Mallow
In Hindi
हाथी घास
Hibiscus Lesser Mallow
In German
Elefantengras
Hibiscus Lesser Malve
In French
l'herbe à éléphant
Hibiscus Lesser Mallow
In Spanish
pasto elefante
Hibiscus menor Mallow
In Greek
ελέφαντα χόρτο
Hibiscus Λιγότερο Μολόχα
In Portuguese
capim-elefante
Hibiscus Lesser Mallow
In Polish
trawa słoniowa
Hibiscus Lesser Mallow
In Latin
elephanti herba
Hibiscus minorem Abutilon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Poales
Malvales
Family
Poaceae
Malvaceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Hibiscus
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Paniceae
Hibisceae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Malvoideae
Number of Species
1100
1
27800
👆🏻