Lavatera

A new plant for me. I started out with Lavatera 'Barnsley' which didn't live more than 2 years. So I kept buying more since it is such a great plant. And then seedlings started to appear from the L. 'Barnsley'. They have now jumped a sidewalk and are moving across the front garden. The seedlings are more of a light purple than light pink. I purchased L. 'Sweet Dreams', another light purple. and received a 'dwarf' (3') in a trade. So now I have too much of a good thing. The extras will have to be traded off next spring. Anyone else enjoy the Lavateras, and have them reseeding all over?

L. 'Sweet Dreams'

Beautiful! and yes, I have lavateras from two of our DGer's. I forget the name but they are a dark pink. I need to move them to get more sun! Yours are beautiful!

That is beautiful! I only have tried one Lavatera so far, 'Silver Cup' (I think), it is a very tender perennial and didn't survive the winter. No seedlings, either, although I am pretty faithful about deadheading, so likely no seeds grew to viability.

Perhaps I ought to search for more, that would be hardy for me. I love these!

Yes, these Lavatera are shrubs ranging from 3'x3' to 6'x6'. Probably best for a zone 7 situation. Herbaceous here in zone 6; woody further south. Almost as large as some of the perennial Hibiscus in the nurseries today.

Here I am, I really love the lavateras, I have only three different ones,Barnsley is one of them, Bi-color another, and a rose pink one that I don't know the name of. They start fairly easily from cuttings.

Lenjo, I would think your climate is ideal for Lavatera. Here it is hit and miss as they die back to the ground each winter. Do you have much reseeding?

No, I was going to add that the first post but forgot, no we don't get reseeding the bicolor guy isn't even hardy here but I do desperately need to get cuttings taken.

Well look here!!! Golddog has your life settled down some now and you are not quite so busy?? I love the Lavatera, especially Barnsley and of course grew it back home in England. Over here I tried it in Hampton VA, on the Chesapeake, zone 8 and it didn't do as well. Perhaps a shadier spot would have been better but I think it was the humidity that did the damage. I will try it again here in my zone 7. If you are going to take cuttings, please remember me and by the way, any idea who has the tape that I recorded for you?? :-)

Hi M, I have the tape; it arrived a week ago (still in OK condition). I do have a couple of seedlings, but you might want to wait 'til spring for shipment. Ah, my life is always on cruise control.:)

I can wait....don't I always!!! :-) Will you please hold on to the tape until I know who else would like to see it!! Thanks!!

The tape is on hold. Oh yea, I think I owe you a Malva 'Brave Heart' from last spring. Do you recall?

I have the lavatera olbia, grown more for its yellow-green foliage than the beautiful but spare mauve flowers. Wish I could move it as it just doesn't do well in hot sun -- so many plants labeled 'full sun' really don't do well in our hot dry CA summers. But it's so striking where it's sited, many folks have admired it.