PlantFiles: Creeping Mallow
Malvastrum lateritium

I first grew this plant from seed. Seed germinates readily and seedlings soon reach planting size.
If grown from seed, different plants show a lot of variation in quality of the flowers. The flowers may range from one and a half to two inches across, from off-white to pale peach pink, some will have a dark reddish 'zoning' and some will not. So a lot of selecting needs to be made, and if you are buying plants make sure you see the flowers first!
At best, the flowers are slightly over 2" across, peach pink, with a feathered dark red zone at the centre. There is a large, prominent 'boss' of yellow stamens at the centre.
The plant spreads to four feet across and up to a foot high, and can be made more bushy by careful pruning.
The site and soil conditions may be important because I have seen some plants with very few flowers and others covered. Poor, well-drained soil and lots of sun may be best in dullish climates. In mild sunny climates it can be evergreen, but hard frosts may cut the topgrowth right back.

This is not a spectacular plant, but useful as a long flowering evergreen ground cover.
Propagation is easy because the spreading branches root at the leaf nodes.

Also listed under Modiolastrum lateritium.