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Dwarf mallow (Malva neglecta)

Dwarf mallow is an introduced annual or biennial weed found in disturbed sites, gardens and pastures in parts of south-eastern New South Wales. Its spreading growth can compete with wanted plants and make pasture and garden management more difficult.

Key facts

Type: Weed, herb.

Native to: Europe and western Asia.

Established in: NSW, ACT, VIC, TAS.

Other names: Round-leaf mallow, Mallow, Common mallow, Cheeseweed.

Best time to act: Look for plants while they are actively growing and flowering, and treat or remove them before fruits mature and seed is shed.

Identification

  • This low-growing herb sprawls or grows prostrate, with stems up to about 1 m long, or grows to about 0.6 m tall.
  • The stems have star-shaped hairs that are easiest to see with a hand lens.
  • Leaves grow alternately along the stems and are about 2–6 cm long and 20–60 mm wide, with a heart-shaped base and scalloped margins.
  • Leaves may have 5–7 lobes or be nearly unlobed, are sparsely hairy, and have stalks longer than the leaf blades.
  • Flowers grow in clusters and have five mauve, pink or white petals, each about 6–12 mm long.
  • Look-alike: Other mallows, including small-flowered mallow, can look similar; compare their leaf shape, flower size and growth habit.

Where it grows

In south-eastern New South Wales it grows in disturbed sites, often in moist pastures and gardens, and is recorded mainly around Sydney, the ACT, the western mountains and Kosciuszko National Park, with occasional occurrences elsewhere.

Why it matters

  • It can spread across disturbed ground and compete with garden plants, pasture species or crops for growing space and resources.
  • Where it becomes established, it can add to weed-management work in pastures, gardens and other disturbed sites.

How it spreads

  • It reproduces by seed, and mature fruits break into seed-bearing segments.
  • Seeds may be moved in soil or mud carried on vehicles, machinery, boots and other equipment.

Control options

  • For small infestations, hand-pull or hoe plants while the soil is moist, removing the root and preventing seed set.
  • Collect and dispose of plants bearing mature fruit so seeds are not spread.
  • Where herbicide is appropriate, use only a product registered for the site and target weed, and follow its label and any applicable local requirements.
  • Check treated areas for regrowth and new seedlings, and follow up; ask the state or territory biosecurity agency about local reporting requirements.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Remove soil, mud and plant material from boots, tools, vehicles and machinery before leaving an infested site, and dispose of the material where it cannot spread.
  • Inspect and clean vehicles, plant and footwear before leaving an infested area, paying attention to tyres, radiators, belly plates, tracks and floor mats.
  • Wash down at a designated bay where runoff is contained and can be monitored for seedlings.
  • Record each washdown so the client has evidence of clean entry and exit.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): No national listing. Managed under state and territory law.
  • Queensland: Not prohibited or restricted. Not listed as prohibited or restricted matter in Queensland. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: Not a priority weed. Not a state or regional priority weed in NSW. The general biosecurity duty applies: anyone dealing with it must prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk it poses.
  • Victoria: Not declared. Not declared under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Other Victorian laws may still apply.
  • South Australia: Not declared. Not declared under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019. Other laws may still apply.
  • Western Australia: Declared pest (C1), prohibited. C1 Exclusion: to be kept out of WA, or out of the parts of WA where it is not established. Report any sighting to DPIRD. It must not be brought into WA (prohibited organism).
  • Tasmania: Not declared. Not a declared weed in Tasmania. Other laws may still apply.
  • Northern Territory: Check NT list. There is no NT weed profile for it. Check the NT declared weeds list for its current status.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Not declared. Not declared under the Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT). A general biosecurity duty still applies.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • Australian Capital Territory: Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT), administered by ACT Biosecurity
  • Victoria: Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (Vic), administered by Agriculture Victoria
  • Tasmania: Biosecurity Act 2019 (Tas), administered by Biosecurity Tasmania

Sources