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Tree Mallow
Lavatera maritima
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| Description | An excellent background shrub for dry perennial beds and mixed shrub borders. Numerous lovely pale lavender hibiscus-like flowers bloom throughout summer, each with a showy purple throat. The summer flowers are complemented by maple-like gray-green leaves. An excellent addition to warm, dry Mediterranean-style gardens. Evergreen. |
|---|---|
| Bloom Time | Summer to fall |
| Deciduous/Evergreen | Evergreen |
| Special Features | Easy Care, Waterwise, Attracts Pollinators, Fast Growing |
| Problems/Solutions | Coastal Exposure |
| Growth Rate | Moderate |
| Growth Habit | Upright |
| Flower Attributes | Flowers for Cutting, Long Bloom Season, Showy Flowers |
| Landscape Use | Border, Container, Hedge, Privacy Screen |
| Design Ideas | Bush Mallow is a Mediterranean shrub that is most at home in drier Western landscapes. Rangy and irregular, it's best as a background shrub for more compact dryland or native flowering perennials. It can be clipped or sheared for a more formal character as a hedge or medium-height screen. Perfect on banks and slopes, among landscape boulders and in wild landscapes. Its greatest value is as a source of color in drought-resistant gardens, where its uniquely textured foliage makes a lush back-of-the-border filler. |
| Flower Color | Purple |
| Foliage Color | Gray-green |
| Companion Plants | Scotch Broom (Cytisus); Butterfly Bush (Buddleja); Tickseed (Coreopsis); Lavender (Lavandula); Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia) |
| Care Instructions | Thrives in light, fertile soils with excellent drainage and low moisture. Water regularly during first growing season to establish root system; once established, reduce frequency. Prune lightly after first bloom flush to promote continued flowering and encourage dense new growth. Hard prune annually to shape and rejuvenate. Feed in early spring. |
| History | This genus belongs to the mallow family which also contains hollyhocks and hibiscus. The 25 species of Lavatera are mostly native to the Mediterranean. The species name, maritima suggests its origins in the coastal or maritime regions of North Africa. |
| Lore | Mallows are closely related to the wetland plant known as "marsh mallow" with roots used to create this popular confection. |
| Description | An excellent background shrub for dry perennial beds and mixed shrub borders. Numerous lovely pale lavender hibiscus-like flowers bloom throughout summer, each with a showy purple throat. The summer flowers are complemented by maple-like gray-green leaves. An excellent addition to warm, dry Mediterranean-style gardens. Evergreen. |
|---|---|
| Bloom Time | Summer to fall |
| Deciduous/Evergreen | Evergreen |
| Special Features | Easy Care, Waterwise, Attracts Pollinators, Fast Growing |
| Problems/Solutions | Coastal Exposure |
| Growth Rate | Moderate |
| Growth Habit | Upright |
| Flower Attributes | Flowers for Cutting, Long Bloom Season, Showy Flowers |
| Landscape Use | Border, Container, Hedge, Privacy Screen |
|---|---|
| Design Ideas | Bush Mallow is a Mediterranean shrub that is most at home in drier Western landscapes. Rangy and irregular, it's best as a background shrub for more compact dryland or native flowering perennials. It can be clipped or sheared for a more formal character as a hedge or medium-height screen. Perfect on banks and slopes, among landscape boulders and in wild landscapes. Its greatest value is as a source of color in drought-resistant gardens, where its uniquely textured foliage makes a lush back-of-the-border filler. |
| Flower Color | Purple |
| Foliage Color | Gray-green |
| Companion Plants | Scotch Broom (Cytisus); Butterfly Bush (Buddleja); Tickseed (Coreopsis); Lavender (Lavandula); Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia) |
| Care Instructions | Thrives in light, fertile soils with excellent drainage and low moisture. Water regularly during first growing season to establish root system; once established, reduce frequency. Prune lightly after first bloom flush to promote continued flowering and encourage dense new growth. Hard prune annually to shape and rejuvenate. Feed in early spring. |
|---|
| History | This genus belongs to the mallow family which also contains hollyhocks and hibiscus. The 25 species of Lavatera are mostly native to the Mediterranean. The species name, maritima suggests its origins in the coastal or maritime regions of North Africa. |
|---|---|
| Lore | Mallows are closely related to the wetland plant known as "marsh mallow" with roots used to create this popular confection. |
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About Us
We have been pioneers and craftsmen in the art of growing plants for nearly
100 years. Since our founding in Southern California by Harry E. Rosedale, Sr.
in 1926, we have been absolutely dedicated and obsessed with quality.
We have been pioneers and craftsmen in the art of growing plants for nearly 100 years. Since our founding in Southern California by Harry E. Rosedale, Sr. in 1926, we have been absolutely dedicated and obsessed with quality.



