How to Grow Lavatera Plants
Guide to Growing Tree Mallow, Royal Mallow, & Rose Mallow
Members of the Lavatera genus can be hardy annuals, biennials or perennials, but are normally treated as hardy annuals in the garden.
They are shrubbery and can reach a height of 60 cm to 1.8 m (2 to 6 feet). They carry pink, purple or white trumpet shaped flowers.
The perennial members of Lavatera flower in the summer, whereas annuals bloom from summer to the first frost of winter.
Some of the common names for Lavatera include Mallow, Annual Mallow, and Tree Mallow.
Lavatera assurgentiflora - Southern island mallow by Brewbooks.
Lavatera tanagra by Photofarmer; creative commons.
Lavatera Growing and Care Guide
Common Names: Tree Mallow, Royal Mallow, Rose Mallow, Annual Mallow, Mission Mallow.
Family: Malvaceae.
Life Cycle: Hardy annual. Hardy biennial. Hardy perennial commonly grown as a half hardy annual by gardeners.
Height: 24 to 36 inches (30 to 90 cm).
Native: Mediterranean, Central and Eastern Asia, Australasia.
Growing Region: Zones 2 to 10. As a perennial in zones 8 to 10.
Flower Details: Red, white, pink. Five petals. Cup shapes. Trumpets.
Foliage: Lobed. Palm-like.
Sow Inside: Use peat pots. Germination time: two to three weeks. Temperature 70°F (21°C). Seven or eight weeks before expected last frost. Transplant outdoors following the last frost.
How to Grow Mallow (Lavatera)
When growing Mallow and other Lavatera plants outdoors as annuals it is best to sow them continuously from spring to early summer. This will create a continuous bloom of Mallow flowers.
Once the sees are sown, simply cover them. Lavatera plants likes to grow in a sunny part of the garden that has good drainage. For the best flowering the soil should not be moist and not too rich.
If planning to first grow indoors, then they should be planted in peat pots, about 7 or 8 weeks before putting out in the garden. Transplant Mallow from after the last frost of spring until the start of summer.
They take two to three weeks to germinate at 21 degrees Centigrade (70°F).
They should be spaced at 30 to 45 cm (12 to 18 inches; small Lavatera species) or 60 to 90 cm apart (2 to 3 feet; larger varieties).
Caring for Lavatera in the garden
Once growing, Lavatera should be watered regularly and dead flower heads removed.
It is best to fertilize them with a low nitrogen feed. If you require more plants, and don't want to let them self seed, then take cuttings at the start of summer.
I hope that you enjoyed this guide on how to grow Lavatera plants. You may also enjoy the following Gardener's HQ growing guides: How to grow Hibiscus, Acer negundo, and Malva plants.
If you enjoy the information on this site, then you'll love my book: The Gardener's HQ Plant Growing Guide. Available for Kindle (MOBI), iPad (ePub) and as a PDF.
Genus Index L
