Malva thuringiaca

RHS Plant Profile
tree lavatera

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tree lavatera RHS

Other common names

garden tree mallow

Synonyms

Lavatera thuringiaca

Plants for pollinators
Herbaceous Perennial

A large, upright herbaceous perennial with downy, greyish-green leaves with three or five lobes. In summer bears open funnel-shaped, long-stalked, purple-pink flowers up to 8cm across

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1.5-2.5 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
1–2 years
Max Spread
0.5-1 metres
Max Height
1.5-2.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
West–facing or South–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H5

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Malvaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Bushy
Genus
Malva can be annuals, biennials or perennials, with rounded, often palmately lobed leaves and 5-petalled, open funnel-shaped flowers in the leaf axils or in terminal racemes
Name Status
Correct

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in light, moderately fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. Shelter from cold winds. Tends to be short-lived

Propagation

Propagate by softwood cuttings in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Wall side borders
  • Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Cut stems down to base in autumn

Pests

Normally trouble free

Diseases

May be susceptible to stem rot, soil-borne fungal diseases and rust diseases