Lavatera

Tree mallow 'Bredon Springs' is literally a magnet for the eyes and for beneficial insects in your garden. This massive, shrub-like growing perennial, native to the western Mediterranean, does not deny its southern temperament and loves sunny locations with well-drained, loamy soil. It stands out with an incredibly long blooming period, tirelessly producing a flood of large, deep pink flowers resembling hibiscuses from June until the end of the summer holidays. Thanks to its lush growth, it is perfectly suited for the rear parts of perennial beds, where it will create a rich green wall in a short time, or as a dominant feature in country gardens. The flowers are additionally edible, so you can use them to decorate summer salads or desserts. In our climatic conditions, this tree mallow behaves more like a short-lived perennial or subshrub. Although it tolerates frosts down to -10 °C, in colder areas of the country it will appreciate a winter cover or being planted in a protected, warm spot sheltered from the wind. Its cultivation is very easy, making it an ideal choice even for novice gardeners who want to quickly fill empty spaces in a flower bed. The upright stems are also suitable for cutting into large summer bouquets, where they stay fresh for several days. It is good to continuously remove faded flowers, which will encourage the setting of new buds and prolong the season of colors until late summer.

Tree mallow 'Barnsley Baby' is a compact variant of the popular perennial that brings a touch of Mediterranean romance and lightness to the garden. Unlike its massive relatives, which grow to impressive dimensions in their homeland, this cultivar stays low with a height of around 75 centimeters. Thanks to this, it fits perfectly even into smaller perennial beds, front gardens, or mixed plantings, where other tree mallows would take up too much space. The plant forms a dense, richly branched bush covered with green leaves, which from June to August gets literally covered in a multitude of large, delicate pink flowers resembling hibiscuses. These are an irresistible attraction not only for the human eye but especially for bees and other pollinators, who find a rich source of nectar in them. As a plant originally from the Mediterranean, tree mallow 'Barnsley Baby' requires full sun and well-drained, loamy soil in which it is not at risk of waterlogging. Although it ranks among short-lived perennials, it will richly compensate for this trait with its speed of growth and blooming intensity right in the first season after planting. In our conditions, its frost resistance is limited to about -10 °C, so it is advisable to cover the plant with conifer branches for winter or plant it in a protected, warm location, for example by the south wall of a house. The flowers are edible and can decorate summer salads or desserts, and if you want to bring a piece of summer home, the sturdy stems also last well in a vase as charming cut flowers.

Tree mallow 'Burgundy Wine' is an unmissable perennial that will light up the garden in summer with a flood of deep burgundy flowers. This semi-woody plant resembles hibiscuses and, thanks to its vigorous growth and felt-like, grayish-green leaves, adds a relaxed, almost Mediterranean touch to the flower beds. The 'Burgundy Wine' cultivar stands out precisely for that intense dark pink to red hue of its flowers, which bloom tirelessly from June to August and are a great attraction for bees, bumblebees, and other pollinators. It is a plant that loves full sun and well-drained, loamy soil. In our conditions, it often behaves as a short-lived perennial or subshrub, because its frost resistance reaches approximately -12 °C. It is therefore ideal for growing in large pots on the terrace, which you can hide in a frost-free room for the winter, or for planting in very sheltered, warm locations with a thorough winter covering. If you are looking for a plant to quickly fill a spot in a perennial bed that will make a great show, the tree mallow is a great choice. In addition, the sturdy stems with flowers can be cut for a vase, where they will last and bring joy at home too.

Tree mallow Duet is an unmissable dominant feature of summer flower beds that will win you over with its flood of cup-shaped flowers. This vigorously growing perennial, botanically classified among the mallow family, does not deny its origins from the warmer regions of the Mediterranean, and therefore it loves full sun and well-drained loamy soil. Although it behaves more like a short-lived perennial in our country, it puts its life energy into extremely abundant flowering from June to August. The plant forms upright, almost shrubby clumps that fit perfectly into country gardens and modern perennial plantings, where they quickly fill empty spaces. The Duet cultivar boasts softly pink flowers with darker venation, which literally attract bees and other pollinators. In addition to its ornamental function, it also has a practical use, as the flowers are edible and can be used to decorate summer salads or desserts. The sturdy stems are also suitable for cutting into a vase, where they will continue to bring joy for several days if you harvest them at the stage when the buds are just opening. Just watch out for stronger frosts; the plant is frost-hardy down to about -10 °C, so in colder areas, it will appreciate winter cover.

Tree mallow Lilac Lady is an impressive dominant feature of summer flower beds that will win you over with a flood of soft violet flowers. This vigorously growing perennial, botanically classified among the mallow family, resembles hibiscus or hollyhocks with its flowers, but it forms richly branched shrubs growing up to a height of one and a half meters. The Lilac Lady cultivar boasts a pastel lilac shade with darker venation, which stands out beautifully in full sun in well-drained loamy soil. Although it is a short-lived perennial that in our conditions requires winter cover or a sheltered location (frost hardiness down to -10°C), its rapid growth and tireless flowering from June to August will richly compensate for this care. The flowers are also edible, so you can decorate summer salads or desserts with them. The plant is literally a magnet for bees and other pollinators, thereby livening up every corner of the garden. If you like making bouquets, it will please you as a cut flower too, adding a rustic charm to arrangements in a vase.

Tree mallow 'White Angel' will enchant every lover of cottage gardens with its flood of pure white flowers, which in shape resemble hibiscuses or hollyhocks. This robust plant grows to a respectable height of up to one and a half meters and thus forms an unmissable dominant feature in the beds, adding volume and structure to the plantings. Although it is a short-lived perennial that in our conditions only handles frosts down to approximately -12 °C, its rapid growth and rich flowering from June to August make it an irreplaceable part of summer compositions. It thrives best in full sun in well-drained loamy soil, where it will reward you with a literal avalanche of flowers. The flowers of the tree mallow are not only a feast for the eyes but also for beneficial insects, which they tirelessly attract in the garden. They are also edible, so you can safely use them to unconventionally decorate summer salads or desserts. If you want to bring a piece of this fragile beauty home, the stems are excellently suited for cutting into a vase, where they will last to bring joy for several days. The 'White Angel' variety stands out for its purity and elegance, thanks to which it will brighten up even the most ordinary corner of the garden and combines wonderfully with brightly colored perennials or airy grasses.

Lavatera hybrida, better known as tree mallow, is a record holder in growth speed and the ability to turn a flower bed into a blooming oasis in a single season. The 'Blushing Bride' variety will enchant you with its delicate, satin-like flowers in a pastel pink color with darker veining. This plant behaves more like a subshrub and in a sunny location can create an impressive dominant feature, whose flowers are moreover edible and will excellently decorate summer desserts. Growing it is suitable even for complete beginners, because tree mallow does not suffer from diseases or pests and handles drier conditions excellently. It is a rewarding plant for the back parts of perennial beds, where its growth will create a beautiful background for lower perennials. Although it is a short-lived perennial that can freeze out in harsh winters, its ability to bloom all summer long is irreplaceable. The flower stems can be cut into large bouquets in the style of cottage gardens. For successful overwintering in our climate zone, we recommend mounding the roots with mulch or spruce branches, as the frost resistance hovers around -10°C.