Lavatera adds a tropical note to the garden with its bright hibiscus-like blooms.
The bushy plant displays an enchanting flower show when planted in full sun.
Lavatera (Lavateraspp.)
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
adds a vibrant tropical note to the garden with flowers that resemblehibiscusor minihollyhockblossoms.
Certain types of this annual also offerpure white blooms.
Lavatera begins its flowering season in midsummer and continues blooming until the firstfrost in fall.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Where to Plant Lavatera
Lavatera is anannual but can be grown as a perennialinUSDA Zones 710.
Sow the plant in rich, well-draining soil.
Choose a sheltered spot that receives full sun to meet lavateras light needs and protect it from wind.
Credit: Laurie Dickson
How and When to Plant Lavatera
Sow lavatera seeds in early spring.
After seedlings appear, thin them to about 1 foot apart.
If you want to get an early start on flowers, you cansow seeds indoors.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Use a biodegradable pot, like a peat pot so you wont disturb lavateras sensitive roots.
Keep the container in a 70F area until germination about three weeks later.
Light
Lavatera should be planted infull sunfor the most prolific flowers and robust plants.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Avoid full shadelavatera is prone to flopping when grown in the shade because its such a fast grower.
Soil and Water
Lavatera preferswell-drained soilwith even moisture.
If the soil is kept wet, the plant will likely rot.
Credit: Eric Roth
Temperature and Humidity
Lavatera doesnt like hot, humid summer weather.
It requires warm, dry weather to flourish.
Fertilizer
Before planting lavatera, mix aslow-release granular fertilizerinto the soil.
Credit: Matthew Benson
In midsummer, apply a liquid flower fertilizer, following the product instructions.
Avoid overfertilizing, or your plant will grow much more foliage than flowers.
Pruning
The best time to prune lavatera grown as a perennial is spring.
Credit: Matthew Benson
Cut it back by a third or half after thelast frost of springto encourage new growth.
The plant flowers on the current years growth.
Cut back damaged branches any time of year.
Credit: Jim Krantz
Potting and Repotting Lavatera
Lavatera is a good choice for growing outside in containers.
Choose a pot with excellent drainage and fill it with potting mix or a soil/compost mix.
The container size depends on the plant variety.
Credit: Mike Jensen
The pot should be big enough but not too big for the plant(s).
Large containers lead to waterlogged soil, which is a problem for lavatera.
Avoid repotting unless necessarylavatera doesnt like to have its roots disturbed.
These can be removed with a spray of water or an system of insecticidal soap orneem oil.
Good hygiene in the garden can prevent it, but there is no cure once a plant contracts it.
Remove any affected plants and dont compost them.
It self-seeds prolifically, so gardeners usually dont have to plant it again the second year.
The timing is critical because the new plant needs weeks to develop roots.
Harvest 6- to 8-inchcuttings, making the cut beneath a leaf node of a non-flowering stem.
Remove the leaves from the bottom third of the cutting anddip the end in rooting powder.
Fill a biodegradable pot with a soil/compost mix or potting soil and keep it moist.
Insert up to three cuttings per pot, spacing them around the edges rather than grouped in the middle.
Cover the pot with a plastic bag and put it in a warm location but not in direct sunlight.
Mont Blanc Lavatera
The Mont Blanc variety ofLavaterabears pure white flowers on a compact 2-foot-tall plant.
The plant tolerates salt spray and coastal challenges with ease, growing 6 to 10 feet tall.
Its pink-to-white flowers are up to 3 inches across.
Silver Cup Lavatera
Silver CupLavaterahas big pink flowers with darker veins on a compact 3-foot-tall plant.
Lavatera Companion Plants
Spider Flower
Amazingly, the tall, dramaticspider floweris only an annual.
Be aware that the flowers shatter easily after a few days when cut for vases.
Spider flower typically self-seeds prolifically, so you only have to plant it once.
Plant established seedlings in spring after all danger of frost has passed.
The annual does best in moderately rich, well-drained soil.
Be careful about overfertilizing, or youll have extremely tall, floppy plants.
Group spider flower plants in clusters of six or more for the best effect.
Because it develops surprisingly large thorns, its best to keep spider flower away from walkways.
Dahlia blooming season extends into fall and is only halted by the first frost.
Transplant outdoors after the last frost.
Moonflower
Moonfloweris one of the most romantic plants you’re free to grow in your garden.
Some moonflower blooms are sweetly fragrant when open.
This beautiful plant is heat- and drought-resistant.
Plant moonflower outdoors after all danger of frost has passed.
Give it moderate moisture and fertilizer.
Unfortunately, moonflower reseeds freely to the point of being invasive in some conditions.
The plant, particularly its seeds, is toxic to humans and pets.
The big, colorful lavatera blooms attract bees and hummingbirds to the garden.
To a lesser degree, they also attract butterflies and moths.
Lavatera plants can live as long as five years.
University of Wisconsin Horticulture Extension.
