Sida hermaphrodita

A virtually unknown garden plant but used since the 1930’s as cattle fodder, Sida is now used in many industries – paper manufacture, bio energy, medicine, soil decontamination and especially honey production. Bees just love the flowers. It’s a long lived, very large mallow, native to the eastern side of the USA where it survives and thrives on temperatures of minus 35ºC and various poor soils. Initially growing slowly, 90cm in its first year, it then rockets to 250cm or more. Drought tolerant, it needs no fertiliser and has a very rustic charm with pretty white flowers and deeply cut palm shaped leaves.