Flower profile
Cheeseweed mallow
Malva parviflora
Cheeseweed mallow (Malva parviflora) is a flowering plant in the Malvaceae family, introduced in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly March–May across the U.S.
Cheeseweed mallow is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Arizona
Quick look
Malva parviflora is an annual or perennial herb that is native to Northern Africa, Southern Europe, and Western and Central Asia and is widely naturalized elsewhere. Common names include cheeseweed, cheeseweed mallow, Egyptian mallow, least mallow, little mallow, mallow, marshmallow, small-flowered mallow, small-flowered marshmallow, and smallflower mallow. It is used in traditional medicine.
- It belongs to the Malvaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual, biennial, perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 25 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as not native to Arizona. NatureServe
- iNaturalist has 1,392 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #70 among the 132 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. NatureServe
- Arizona
- Not listed Not on Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Arizona. AAC R3-3 App. A
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records cheeseweed mallow in 25 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Washington, Wyoming.
Arizona counties with USDA records: Cochise, Coconino, Graham, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, Pinal, Yuma.
Names, range and relatives
Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Introduced; Hawaii: Introduced; Lower 48 states: Introduced; Pacific Basin (excluding Hawaii): Introduced.
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 162 counties across 20 states; the most are in California (35), Montana (33), Texas (26).
Other Malva on Bloomipedia (1): Dwarf mallow.
More from the Malvaceae family (29 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Turk's cap, Common hibiscus, Swamp rose mallow, Velvetleaf, Apricot globemallow, Checkerbloom, Scarlet globemallow, Bristly mallow.
More Arizona flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile MAPA5.
- iNaturalist, Malva parviflora: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Malva parviflora (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Arizona: Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025).
- Arizona: Arizona prohibited noxious weeds (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-4-245).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Malva parviflora (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Ryan Donnelly via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.