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Lavatera is an easy to grow, upright shrubby plant with attractive green foliage and large flowers which range in colour from white to deepest rose. It flowers from midsummer until the first frost. The mallow is native to the Mediterranean and is easy to grow. It is mainly pest and disease resistant and will attract beneficial insects such as butterflies and bees. It can cope with poor soil and coastal weather. Some forms of lavatera are annuals while others are perennial. Perennial Lavatera bloom in summer, whereas annuals bloom from summer to the first frost. Because it is fast growing, and often flowers in its second year, perennial lavatera is a great plant to add some maturity and colour to a relaxed planting scheme in a relatively short time. Perennial lavatera is a large shrub that will need plenty of room to grow. It reaches a height of 3 to 6 feet (1-2 metres), with a similar spread, making it ideal for the back of a mixed border. It is popular with gardeners because it is quick and easy to grow and will produce an abundance of large, 5-petalled flowers over the course of each summer. These shrubby plants do not live long, perhaps four or five years; however, they are easily grown from seed and grow quickly, making them great value for money. And by the time your first plant has reached the end of its life, it will probably have self-seeded and you will have plenty of new plants to choose from. Lavatera is also relatively hardy. They can be damaged by severe frosts, but as they respond well to hard pruning in spring any damage can be removed without harming the plant’s health. In very cold areas they are best planted against a wall for some protection from the harshest weather.
