Virginia mallow
- noun
- US
:
malva de Virginia
- Gardeners prize Virginia mallow for its showy white blossoms and attractive leaves.
Examples
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Several butterflies were seen feeding on the blossoms of the Virginia mallow in late summer.
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The Virginia mallow grows wild along riverbanks in the southeast.
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The Virginia mallow grows beautifully in my garden.
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Have you seen the Virginia mallows blooming this spring?
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Gardeners prize Virginia mallow for its showy white blossoms and attractive leaves.
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Several butterflies were seen feeding on the blossoms of the Virginia mallow in late summer.
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The Virginia mallow grows wild along riverbanks in the southeast.
Synonyms
A tall plant that lives for many years with leaves like a maple tree and white flowers
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward place + noun combination: 'Virginia' names a location and 'mallow' names a type of flowering plant, so the compound denotes the mallow associated with Virginia. This compositional, taxonomic naming pattern is common across languages and easily inferable by a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
Virginia mallow is a name that joins the place Virginia with the plant word mallow, giving a clear picture of a mallow that grows in Virginia and the surrounding south. That's why the name today refers to the tall, soft-leaved herb with showy white flowers found in that region.
