It was greatly admired by the early settlers of the Adelaide region as it reminded them of the hollyhocks back in their home country of England.
[citation needed] The plant's large, tuberous root has important medicinal properties, and was also mashed and eaten by the local Aboriginal people.
[citation needed] The name Malva has its origins in the Greek word μαλακός ("malakos"), which can be roughly translated to mean "soft" and/or "smooth",[6] and preissiana is derived from the name Joann August Ludwig Preiss,[7] who was a well-known German botanist who spent up to four years in Australia studying native plants during the late 1800s.
[12] As such, this plant can typically be found in coastal areas of Australia that are heavily populated by gulls or seabirds, and particularly flourishes during breeding season when the birds are not migrating.
[18] It was also typically made into a paste or a tea that was used to help with the common cold—at one point believed to be a good cure for asthma or respiratory issues.
[11] Secondly, gulls and other common species of bird can harm Malva preissiana's growth by constant activity such as picking at plants to make nests, trampling over seedlings, and also polluting the soil with too many faeces.
A 2017 study found that in some areas, gulls actively removed Malva preissiana seeds that were deposited in the soil to build up the land's native vegetation, causing very low germination rates.
Malva preissiana is an essential native plant due to its almost symbiotic relationship with the local seabirds such as the bridled tern and the little penguin.
The study had two main aims: "to determine if native vegetation cover could be re-established around bridled tern nesting boxes by planting tubestock of berry salt bush (Rhagodia baccata) and bower spinach (Tetragonia implexicoma)", and "to determine if the Australian hollyhock could be grown from seeds around bridled tern nesting boxes”.
It also produces flowers in the form of red berries, which help to sustain a number of native animals and birds, and is typically described as a dense shrub-like bush.
[25] Bridled terns are native to Penguin Island and frequent the area during breeding seasons—which is usually from late September and then lasting until the middle of October when they arrive from their annual migration.
[28] The volunteers planted over fifty "nest-tubes" that were designed to support seedling-growth and thus, create a comfortable nesting site for the native birds during breeding season.
[11] This Malva dendromorpha originated in the coastal regions of the Mediterranean, where it relied on the salty water, "high levels of phosphorus", and consistent winds to grow and propagate.
The main concern with the large population and high rate of growth of the European tree mallow was that when this plant died, it left the soil in a damaged state, and also left the ground largely exposed, meaning that the native Malva preissiana were exposed to the elements and as such, had less chance of successful growth.