Lavatera Duet

For the successful cultivation of 'Duet' tree mallow, choosing the right spot is absolutely crucial. With its origin, this plant belongs to Mediterranean flora, and therefore requires full sun and warmth. In the shade, it would bloom little and stretch for light. The soil must be permeable and loamy, ideally with good water drainage, because tree mallow does not tolerate waterlogging, which can lead to root rot. If you have heavy clay soil in your garden, we recommend lightening it with sand or fine gravel before planting. Given that you will receive an already grown seedling, you can plant it in the bed the moment strong spring frosts have passed. Keep a planting spacing of at least 75 cm; the plant forms massive shrubby tufts and needs space around it for air circulation, which also works as prevention against diseases.

During the season, care for the tree mallow is relatively undemanding and can be handled even by a beginner. Watering should be moderate – the plant handles short-term drought better than permanent dampness. An important intervention for extending the flowering time is the regular removal of faded flowers. This will prevent seed formation and encourage the plant to set new buds, so it will delight you with a flood of pink and white flowers from July right up to September. Regarding fertilizing, be careful with nitrogen; an excess of it would encourage lush leaf growth at the expense of flowers. Ordinary fertilizer for flowering perennials applied at the beginning of summer will easily suffice. Although the plant is declared pest-free, it can be attacked by rust, which manifests itself as orange or brown spots on the leaves. In such a case, remove the infected parts immediately.

One of the most important aspects of cultivation is overwintering. 'Duet' tree mallow is frost-hardy down to roughly -12 °C (zone 8a), which in our conditions often requires winter protection. In the autumn, after flowering, you can shorten the plant, and before frosts arrive, it is necessary to pile a higher layer of mulch, leaves, or evergreen branches around the roots. In colder areas, it behaves more like a short-lived perennial that lasts only a few years in its location, so don't be alarmed if its lifespan naturally concludes. The flowers are edible and great for salads, the stems are sturdy and suitable for cutting for a vase, where they last for several days.

Customers often ask about the possibility of growing in containers. 'Duet' tree mallow is suitable for growing in a pot, but you must provide it with enough space. Choose a large container with a drainage hole and put a layer of drainage (small stones, expanded clay) at the bottom. In a container, the substrate dries out faster, so you will have to water more often on hot days than in the open ground. For the winter, however, it is necessary to either move the pot into a cool, bright, frost-free room, or thoroughly wrap it in polystyrene or jute and place it in a sheltered spot against the house wall, because the root ball in a container freezes much more easily than in the ground.