From our article you will learn a lot of interesting things about the lavatera flower: how to grow the crop from seeds, when to plant it and how to care for it.
Lavatera is a bushy plant that blooms all summer. By selecting varieties of different colors, you can transform your flower garden, decorate your flower bed, and give your lawn a well-groomed appearance.
Description
Lavatera belongs to the malvaceae family. It is represented by only 25 species, including herbs, shrubs and even trees.
The leaves of the plant are lobed, the flowers are single or collected in inflorescences. Breeders have developed varieties with a wide variety of corolla colors - purple, yellow, pink, crimson, white. They bloom in June and continue flowering until the first frost in October.
Some types of lavatera are perennial plants; they are covered for the winter. Annuals are planted annually in the spring using seeds or seedlings.
This is interesting: lavatera flowers do not lose freshness after cutting for more than seven days.
Growing from seeds
In order to obtain seedlings, the seeds are planted in boxes with soil. They start doing this in March.
Sowing
Place drainage at the bottom of the boxes, fill them with light soil from a flower shop and sow the seeds, deepening them no more than 1 centimeter. The soil is moistened and covered with glass or oilcloth. After two weeks, shoots should appear. The soil is moistened as needed.
Picking
Seedlings dive when two pairs of true leaves appear. The root is pinched, leaving 2/3 of the length, and the bushes are planted in separate pots.
When the soil warms up enough, the seedlings are planted in an open flower bed. In the southern regions this is the end of April, the beginning of May, and in the northern regions - the end of May.
Seedling
To ensure that the seedlings grow healthy and strong, they are placed in a well-lit window.
Use additional lighting; without it, plants can become very elongated and grow weak.
Landing dates
Lavatera is planted in a flowerbed in May, when persistent warming sets in. For this, seedlings or seeds are used. A plant grown from seedlings blooms earlier and pleases with its flowering for a long time.
Step-by-step description of the process:
- Before planting, the soil is dug up and cleared of weeds;
- add humus or compost (1 bucket per 1 square meter) and nitrophoska (50 g);
- The seedlings are planted at a distance of 20 centimeters between the bushes; if the variety is tall, a support for the seedlings is installed.
Planting seeds in open ground
Seeds are planted in open ground in May. The procedure for preparing the soil is the same as when planting seedlings. Dry seeds are sown in furrows 1 centimeter deep, watered with water.
The seeds are covered with earth mixed with humus in equal proportions and covered with transparent oilcloth. Shoots appear after seven days. After another week, the film is removed, the seedlings are thinned out and hilled.
Flower care
This light-loving and drought-resistant plant will not bore you with complex care. Lavatera only needs to be fertilized twice during the entire growing season: before planting in a flowerbed and before flowering begins. When the first buds appear, add a bucket of water with sodium sulfate and potassium sulfate (1 tablespoon each) under each bush.
During flowering, remove faded buds and water the bushes once every seven days in dry weather. The lavatera bush does not require pruning or shaping. In the fall, seeds are collected and perennial plants are prepared for frost.
Please note: Lavatera does not like excess moisture and tolerates drought more easily than waterlogging.
Diseases and pests
The plant is resistant to diseases and is rarely affected by garden pests. Has strong immunity. Sometimes bushes can suffer from aphid or rust infestations.
When leaves are damaged by aphids, the bushes are treated with Akarin, Aktara, Actellik or Biotlin. In case of severe rust infection, leaves or even whole plants are removed from the site and burned, the remaining ones are treated with Topaz or Bordeaux mixture.
Please note: to prevent diseases, it is recommended to plant lavatera every year in a new place.
After flowering
In autumn, when flowering ends, seed pods remain on the plant. The ripened seeds in them have a grayish-brown color. They are collected, dried indoors and stored in linen or paper bags.
When to collect seeds
Green seed pods gradually turn brown after the flower wilts. When the seeds from the ripened capsules easily fall out onto your hand when pressed, they can be collected. The shelf life of collected seeds is quite long - up to 5 years.
Please note: lavatera can grow next year in a self-sowing area; to prevent this, the seed pods are tied with gauze or removed before ripening.
perennial plant in winter
Before the onset of cold weather, perennial plants are removed from their support and bent to the ground, covered with spruce branches or other covering material.
Types and varieties with descriptions
Most often, for cultivation in the middle zone, Lavatera three-month or Thuringian is used. The first species is an annual, and the second is a perennial.
Lavatera trimestris
The height of plants of this species is from 20 centimeters to a meter. Flowers appear at the end of the stems; thanks to their abundance, the bushes look very elegant.
Lavatera trimestris
Popular varieties:
"Novella", bushes about 25 centimeters in height, have large pink flowers. Perfect for growing on loggias and balconies, as well as in rooms with windows facing south.
“Ruby Queen”, tall bushes about 1 meter, flowers are red, large, up to 10 centimeters in diameter.
"Moonlight", a tall plant, up to 1.2 m with silver-pink flowers, blooms all summer until frost.
“Bride”, the height of the bushes is about 70 centimeters, the flowers are white and large.
Lavatera thuringiaca
Powerful plant up to two meters in height. Flowers of different varieties are presented in all shades of pink.
Lavatera thuringiaca
Popular varieties:
"I Catcher" has large flowers of rich pink color.
'Barnsley Baby' produces large pink and white flowers.
"Lilak Lady" has flowers of a delicate lilac color.
Reproduction methods
The plant is propagated by seeds or purchased seedlings. Seedlings are also grown independently from seeds in order to obtain flowering bushes as early as June.
Lavatera does not propagate by cuttings. Seedlings, like seeds, are planted in open ground at the end of spring.
It is as easy to grow perennial lavatera from seeds as annual ones. Ripe seeds collected on the site in the fall remain viable for a long time.
Note: seedlings are planted in a flowerbed when the air temperature is at least 15 degrees.
You will love Lavatera for its beauty and unpretentiousness. And those who are interested in traditional medicine will be interested in the fact that the leaves of this plant are used to treat wounds and purulent boils, and are used to make tinctures for coughs and headaches, and for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
These flowers are excellent honey plants, and bees happily use them to make honey.
How to care for lavatera, watch the following video:
Planting and caring for annual lavatera is simple, so you can plant it in clay soil, where you add humus and sand. The seeds are not soaked - they can be sown immediately dry in the ground to a depth of no more than 1 cm. If you want Lavatera to bloom earlier, then it is advisable to plant it through seedlings. To make the plant grow more luxuriantly, the bushes are planted in lighted areas, watering once a week as the soil dries. By regularly feeding the plant, you can significantly improve its flowering and promote faster bud formation.
...or seedlings
To quickly get seedlings, you can plant them in a greenhouse or directly into the ground, but cover them with film. This should be done towards the end of April. The soil is prepared in advance - it is mineralized with fertilizers based on phosphates and potassium, humus or urea. Then the soil is lightly watered with warm water, and the seeds are sown to a depth of about 1 cm. The top of the planting is mulched and covered with peat. After 1.5 weeks, the first shoots appear, and already in May the seedlings can be planted in a permanent place. It is noteworthy that the annual lavatera, the planting and care of which is so simple, can transform any garden in a short time. Lavatera self-sows in the fall, so next spring you will be provided with seeds of this bright, beautiful plant. Lavatera blooms for almost a month, after which the formation of the seed capsule begins. The seeds are formed in a green box at the place where the flower dies. They can be collected after the box is completely dry - this means that the seeds are completely ready for collection. If suddenly the seeds turn out to be wet, they should be dried and stored in a paper bag until the next planting.
Reproduction
For bouquets and more
Gardeners love Lavatera for its unpretentiousness. She is not afraid of winds and cold, she tolerates strong sun and drought well.
And if you provide it with normal conditions for growth, it can reproduce on its own.
Popular varieties and varieties of lavatera
The ornamental plant is diverse in the varieties presented.
They differ in the size and color of the buds, the height of the stems, and the growing periods.
Knowing the varieties of perennial lavatera, you can think through the design of your garden plot.
Did you know? The flower got its name from the word “lavatum”, which has Latin roots and means “to wash”. And all because the color of the buds is so pure that it seems as if someone washed them in advance. Although people simply call them “dog rose” or khatma.
There are three main types of flowers popular for planting in the garden:
1. Three-month or annual Lavatera, which blooms profusely from mid-summer until frost. The bush grows up to 120 cm in height. Among the most popular varieties of this species that have taken root in our latitudes are:
- "Sun Goddess", which can have different colors.
- "Ruby Queen", producing ruby-colored buds.
- "Pink Beauty" is bright pink.
- "Lovelines" with soft pink flowers.
- "Mont Blanc" blooms exclusively white.
- "Silver Cap" is distinguished by salmon-colored flowers.
2. Lavatera Thuringiana or perennial. The following varieties are most often planted in gardens:
3. Tree or biennial lavatera. Its characteristic feature is its growth up to two meters in height. The flowers are usually pink in color and the stems are exceptionally slender. In our latitudes the following are most often planted:
- "Rosea", producing salmon-colored flowers.
- "Candy Floss" is light pink.
- Moorish with purple flowers and drooping stems;
- Cretan, similar to Moorish, but may have purple shades of buds;
- seaside boasts two lilac shades of flowers.
Features of growing lavatera when planting seeds in open ground
Gardeners logically have a question: how to grow lavatera on their own plot? There are two ways to propagate it: seedlings and seeds. Seedlings involve sowing seeds in closed ground, germinating them to a certain size and only then planting them in open ground.
We will talk about the features of this method of plant propagation later, but for now we will focus on how to sow the plant directly to the intended place of growth. Growing lavatera from seeds involves sowing them in open ground in May.
First, the soil must be dug up with humus. It’s a good idea to add nitroammophoska - about a spoon per square meter. m. The soil is leveled, grooves are made a centimeter deep, filled with warm water, and then dry seeds are poured out. Cover them with earth with humus, and then with a transparent film.
In a week the first shoots should appear. When they grow 5 cm, the film can be removed, the seedlings can be thinned out, and the bed can be hilled up. Although the plant reproduces well by self-sowing.
Important! If you want to get one voluminous bush of flowers on your site, seeds or seedlings must be planted in a circle. The distance between the holes should be standard - 20–25 cm, but five seedlings should be placed in each of them.
How to care for seedlings
When figuring out how to grow lavatera seedlings at home, you need to know where the flower will feel best. Sunny areas are suitable for him, but light partial shade is acceptable. It is unpretentious to the soil, although it responds very well to organic fertilizers.
But if the soil is too depleted, fertilizing is necessary about once a month. The first is carried out at the beginning of the growing season. To do this, prepare a solution of 10 liters of nitroammophosphate and urea. water.
The next significant feeding is carried out when the buds appear. In this case, it is recommended to use phosphorus and potassium fertilizers.
Plants that shoot their stems high need to be staked. They tolerate heat and drought well. Watering is recommended as it dries out, but no less than once a week in extreme heat. Perennial plants tolerate frosts down to -3°C.
While the plant is not yet strong, it must be weeded. Over time, the flower itself drowns out the weeds. It is recommended to regularly remove faded inflorescences. This looks more aesthetically pleasing and stimulates the plant to continue flowering.
Important! With age, the leaves of the plant change color, becoming dark green. If they turn pale and light, it means the plant lacks phosphorus and nitrogen.
Features of planting lavatera seedlings
To determine when to plant lavatera seedlings, you need to know when the seedlings are planned to be planted in open ground. For example, if planting is planned for May, then sowing and germination should be done in March. In regions with warm climates, the plant can be planted as early as April.
To do this, you need to prepare a box, pour drainage into the bottom and soil on top. The soil is moistened, and then the dry seeds are immersed about a centimeter deep. The planting site is covered with glassware, which is removed after the grains have sprouted. Always ensure that condensation does not collect on the glass.
The first shoots should appear a week or two after sowing. It is assumed that the soil will be constantly moistened until the plants grow and become stronger. If there is not enough light, you need to organize additional lighting, periodically turning the containers with sprouts towards the light. Then they are planted in open ground in rows at a distance of 20–25 cm, not forgetting to water regularly.
How to collect seeds
Collecting seeds does not involve any complex manipulations. In early autumn, when the plant begins to bloom, seed pods appear in place of the buds. As they dry, they become brown in color. The seeds are ready for collection if you can hear them scattering inside when you tap on the box. Collected seeds remain viable for up to five years.
Combination of lavatera with other plants
Since the plant is quite beautiful, it is often used in combination with other flowers to form flower beds. Lavatera is not an aggressive plant and gets along well with other crops, such as: 
- delphinium;
- iris;
- brachycoma;
- verbena;
- sage.
Did you know? The more fertile and “fatter” the soil on which the flower grows is, the more decorative the buds will bloom on it.
Using lavatera in landscape design
Landscape designers love the flower because it can be used either independently or in combination with other plants. It stands out well among spreading bushes, at the base of large trees, and on grassy lawns.
The first impression of this flower is how touching and elegant it is. Pure porcelain. The most delicate white and pink silk. In fact, behind its fragile beauty lies an unpretentious and quite modest annual with a soothing name - lavatera. He is a frequent visitor to village front gardens, he is welcome in so-called low-maintenance gardens, but he also has a worthy place in a professionally designed landscape.
The southern guest has been used in decorative floriculture since 1620
How did khatma become lavatera?
Lavatera is the sister of the forest mallow and belongs to the same family. The wild flower came to Southern Europe from Central Asia, where it is called by a beautiful female name of Persian origin - Khatma (Hatima). The European name of the plant is a derivative of the surname Lavater, which was borne by naturalist brothers from Switzerland, and the godfather of the flower was Carl Linnaeus. Both names are equivalent. Khatma Lavatera is often called not only among the people, but also in professional literature.
From a botanical point of view, lavatera is a herbaceous plant with a powerful rhizome and a fast-growing, highly branched aerial part, reaching a height of one and a half meters. The leaves are large, bright green, three-, sometimes five-lobed with teeth along the edge.
The bright funnel-shaped flowers, one or several located in the axils of the leaves, deserve special attention. They are quite large - 6-10 cm in diameter. But what makes an indelible impression is not the size, not the shape, but the color - mostly white and pink, but of some unusually delicate, refined shade. Due to the slightly darker veins, the petals of Lavatera seem slightly corrugated and so fragile - the photo of the flower perfectly conveys this feeling. But, believe me, it persists in life too.
Annual and perennial version
Lavatera three-month-old is more common in gardens. This is a herbaceous annual, often tall (120–150 cm), but in recent years many more compact varieties (60–75 cm), and even dwarf varieties (20–35 cm), suitable for container cultivation, have been developed.
Usually the plant forms a powerful bush with a large number of side shoots, the top of each of which is crowned with a bouquet of funnel-shaped flowers. At the peak of flowering there are so many of them that the foliage is not visible. It looks especially beautiful in carpet flower beds and monochrome compositions.
Varieties of annual lavatera
The annual version of the crop is presented in a good assortment.
- Mont Blanc is a snow-white variety with large flowers up to 10 cm in diameter. It blooms profusely, amicably and for a long time.
- Mont Rose is a representative of the same variety series, but with an intense fuchsia color. Forms powerful compact bushes 50–60 cm high.
- Silver pitcher is a mix of white, pearl, salmon pink and coral flowers, decorated with a bright throat and darker veins radiating from it. The shiny petals give the impression of a silver coating on them.
- Ruby is a single-color variety with a rich dark pink color. The purple veins fanning out from the dark throat make the flowers especially attractive. Plant height – 50 cm.
- Melange is a powerful branched plant up to 100 cm tall. It comes in a mixture of colors - pure white, soft pink and carmine red. It blooms from the end of June for 3 or more months.
- Tanager is a low-growing border cultivar with small (ø up to 5 cm) almost red flowers.
- Pink Beauty is a beautiful compact variety. The flowers are soft pink with purple veining and a purple-violet eye.
- Silver Cup is another pink variety with red mesh veins. The bushes are highly branched and form a profusely flowering cushion 60–80 cm high.
Perennial varieties
In addition to the annual plant, perennial lavatera is also used in ornamental gardening. It is interesting to us because it is our “compatriot”, growing, among other things, in the European regions of Russia and Western Siberia. This unpretentious, cold-resistant perennial is popularly called the “dog rose.” Somewhat disparagingly, of course, the Mediterranean version is more harmonious - L. Thuringian.
The perennial grows into a vigorous, branched bush up to 2 meters high. Its flowers are large, single, on a long stalk, mostly pink in shades, but with a hint of lilac-violet tones. The corolla is more open than that of annual species.
Cultivated varieties of Thuringian Lavatera are not yet widely available to the general consumer. But fans of floriculture, of course, can purchase them. Moreover, they deserve it. Examples of varieties;
- Lilac Lady – lilac flower;
- Eye Catcher – deep pink;
- Paradis - a mix from snow-white to deep pink;
- Barnsley Baby - with pink and white silk petals.
Cultivated varieties are more heat-loving and pampered compared to the natural variety. We grow them in the southern regions with mild winters; in the north they require shelter.
In the greenhouse culture there is another variety of lavatera - tree-like. In the first year, the plant forms a large branched bush up to 2 m high, in the second year it blooms with large red-purple flowers reminiscent of hibiscus. In the summer, flowers along with pots are buried in the flowerbed, and in the fall they are brought indoors.
Where to plant?
Lavatera flowers seem fragile and defenseless, but the plant itself is surprisingly hardy and resilient. First of all, such features are determined by the region of origin of the wild ancestors of khatma - hot, arid, with a sharply continental climate.
When choosing where to plant an annual, give preference to well-lit places. In the sun, even the hottest, he will feel better than in the shade. If there is a lack of lighting, it will direct its efforts to increasing green mass, and may not bloom at all.
It's the same with soil fertility. Loosen the soil, clear weeds in a timely manner, but keep the lavatera from hand to mouth - on rich black soils it will fatten to the detriment of flowering.
The plant is drought-resistant, its physiology is configured to receive a minimum of moisture, and reacts negatively to waterlogging. It only needs watering on dry summer days, and then without fanaticism.
Another attractive feature of L. annua is its cold resistance. Its seeds overwinter well under the snow and germinate without problems in the spring. Owners of natural or rustic style gardens do not bother collecting or sowing seeds - the plant reproduces by self-sowing. Unfortunately, this approach is undesirable for varietal material, since the flower will become smaller over time, its color will fade and become poorer.
How to grow?
It is not difficult to grow lavatera, since in its case planting directly in open ground is quite justified and, moreover, the plant requires almost no care. But if you are not looking for simple solutions, sow the seeds for seedlings first. This will allow you to bring flowering forward by a month and already in June you can enjoy the white and pink cloud of silky petals.
Let's consider both landing options.
Sowing seeds in the ground
It is recommended to sow lavatera into the ground in early May to a depth of 1–1.5 cm. Loosen the soil first; if the soil is too poor, mix in a little humus; loosen the clay soil with peat and river sand. Before laying out the seeds, water the grooves with water.
The annual is tall and requires an appropriate feeding area.
- To get beautiful flowering pillows, it is recommended to sow the seeds in a nesting method - 2-3 pieces at a distance of 10 cm from each other and 30-40 cm between groups.
- For a carpet flower garden, the planting pattern is different - with an interval of 25–30 cm for medium-sized varieties, 30–40 cm for tall ones.
If the soil is warm (from 15⁰ C), seedlings will appear in about two weeks and will rise quickly. Use covering material if the spring is cold. Under it, the soil will warm up faster, and the seedlings will be protected from return frosts.
The plant develops quickly; the first buds open within 30–35 days after planting.
In the case of lavatera, growing from seeds by direct sowing into the ground is preferable if it is important to achieve not so much early flowering as long-lasting. Experienced flower growers have noticed that a seedling flower gradually stops blooming already in August, while a non-seedling flower blooms until frost.
Benefits of growing from seedlings
The seedling method of cultivating flowers has its advantages.
- We are pushing flowering forward by 1–1.5 months.
- With seedlings it is simpler and easier to arrange a flower bed - it does not depend on whether the seeds sprout or not.
- If there are few seeds, it is easier to germinate and nurture each plant in the room, but outside something may get lost.
Before sowing lavatera for seedlings, calculate by what time you plan to receive flowers, respectively, when it needs to be planted in the garden. For example, in order for a plant to bloom in June, it needs to be planted in open ground in May, and sown in early March.
For seedlings you will need small plastic containers with light, loose, moderately nutritious soil. Any universal peat-based soil will do. Moisten it thoroughly before placing it in the planting container.
Spread the seeds evenly on the soil surface, moisten with a spray bottle, and sprinkle with a 1cm layer of soil. To delay the evaporation of moisture and create an optimal microclimate for seed germination, cover the top of the container with glass, film, or a transparent plastic lid, keep it in the light and warm.
After the seedlings appear, the improvised shelter is removed. Lavatera seedlings grow very quickly, and with a lack of light they tend to stretch out, so the best place for them is a windowsill on the south side. As an option, use artificial lighting.
Picking, as for any plants, is carried out when 3-4 true leaves appear.
Flowers are transplanted into the flowerbed when the threat of night frosts has passed. In order for the seedlings to take root painlessly, they are transferred or planted together with a pot (if it is peat or paper). The hole is pre-filled with complex fertilizer and watered abundantly. While the plant takes root, it is watered every day.
Watering and fertilizing
The plant does not like waterlogging, but does not like drying out either. During the dry summer months, watering is carried out 1-2 times a week, abundantly, so that the soil is wet to the depth of the roots. Even better is to alternate watering with loosening the top layer, avoiding the formation of crust, cracking, and silting of the soil.
Feeding is optional, but this does not apply to varietal or hybrid lavatera. The potential of such material is colossal, and without fertilizers the plant simply will not reveal it. To stimulate abundant, long-lasting flowering, in May-June it is recommended to feed the plantings with special targeted fertilizers for flowers. You can also use regular complete fertilizers, but make sure that they contain potassium and phosphorus rather than nitrogen. These minerals contribute to the formation of new buds, making their color brighter and more saturated. The quantity and frequency of fertilizing is 3–4 times with an interval of 10–15 days.
Fertilizing is needed on virgin and scarce lands. At least once every 1.5–2 months, water the lavatera with a solution of organic or complex mineral fertilizers, thereby prolonging its flowering. Otherwise, the plant’s strength will be depleted in August, instead of the September or October stated by the manufacturer.
Forming and tying a bush
The bush does not need shaping. But if there are few side shoots, you can pinch the tops of the longest branches, stimulating tillering. Tall varieties sometimes need garter, especially perennials. They do not have as flexible stems as annuals and can break under their own weight.
Don't let lavatera set seed. This process exhausts the plant, and having switched to ripening, it stops expelling new buds. It is enough to set aside 5–10 minutes once a week to remove dried inflorescences, and thereby revive the “basic instinct” of the plant.
Using lavatera in garden design
If we compare flowers to musical instruments, the lavatera is most closely related to the flute. She can play a gentle, touching solo, and she can also sound in the orchestra, but not in the background, but leads her part.
- Low-growing varieties from 50 cm and below are used for edging borders, paths, and lawns.
- For natural-style flower beds, mixes of 3-4 colors are suitable - elegant, but not tacky.
- When mixing seedlings of different colors, select varieties from the same “weight category”. For example, “Silver Cap”, “Mont Rose”, “Mont Blanc”, “Silk and Cashmere” are the same in height.
- When creating a mixborder, plant tall lavatera in the background, combining it with other bright annuals.
- Like a tapeworm, the soft pink bush looks extraordinary on a green lawn.
The best neighbors of the fragile beauty in the flower garden are delphiniums, irises, zinnias, verbena, petunia, lanstera.
As practice shows, acquaintance with Lavatera ceases to be a long-term and strong relationship. The flower is truly universal. Thanks to its endurance and unpretentiousness, it has taken root in “weekend” gardens, but its exquisite, fragile beauty is worthy of a more noble frame. The choice is yours.
Growing Lavatera:
Good afternoon, dear readers!
Any gardener strives to ensure that his garden looks well-groomed and beautiful, while requiring minimal care. Therefore, unpretentious plants enjoy well-deserved love and recognition. One of them is Lavatera. This beautiful flower seems to have been specially created by nature for lazy or very busy people. Lavatera can be grown not only in the garden, but also on the balcony, as well as indoors.
There are both perennial varieties of this plant and those that are grown during one season. Choose any variety of lavatera and enjoy its vibrant beauty.
Lavatera, also called wild rose, belongs to the genus Malvaceae, which includes only about 25 species of plants that have settled on the Australian continent, in East Asia and the Mediterranean. The name Lavater was given in honor of its discoverers - two brothers, Swiss doctors named Lavater. The wild rose was discovered and described a long time ago - in the 16th century, but it gained particular popularity about 2 decades ago. And now it is difficult to find a garden in which these bright and at the same time delicate flowers do not grow.
Lavatera bushes can grow from 50 to 150 cm in height. The plant has powerful roots, strong branches and abundant green mass. Lobed, pubescent leaves grow in an alternate pattern. The flowers are large, up to 10 cm in diameter. In some species they grow singly, while in others they form spike-shaped inflorescences or racemes. The color of the flowers can be pink, yellow, white, crimson, purple.
The flowering period is long - from early summer to mid-autumn. Lavatera is suitable for cutting; the flowers remain fresh for more than a week. The plant can be grown in any soil and is resistant to wind and drought.
Types and varieties of lavatera with photos
Mont Blanc variety In gardening, annual and perennial varieties and a species that is grown as a biennial are cultivated. The annual species is Lavatera trimonthis. “Lavatera arborescens” is grown for two seasons. And “Lavatera Thuringian” is a perennial.
An annual plant that grows up to 1.2 m. It has two leaf shapes: at the bottom of the bush they are heart-shaped or round-toothed, the upper leaves have 3 or 5 lobes. Flowers bloom in July. They have a funnel shape and a diameter of about 10 cm. The buds are formed in the axils of the leaves. The color of the petals can be white, pink or red. Flowering is abundant.
Popular varieties:
- Ruby Queen is a powerful branched bush that grows up to 1 meter in height; the flowers have a rich red color.
- The sun goddess is a large plant with a height of 110 cm. The leaves have a rich dark green hue. The flowers are 6 cm in diameter and come in a wide variety of colors.
- Silver Cup - the variety grows up to 70 cm. The flower petals are pink with darker veins and a silvery tint.
- Mont Blanc - the bush has a maximum height of 60 cm. The funnel-shaped buds have a delicate white color with dark veins.
- Beauty is a large plant with flowers of white, pink and carmine colors.
- Novella is a compact variety suitable for growing in flowerpots. Maximum height in a pot is 20 cm. In open ground it grows larger.
- White Sherub is a low bush (just over 30 cm) with single white flowers of a decent size. Ideal for growing in pots and flowerpots.
A biennial plant with straight 2-meter stems and oval-shaped leaves, up to 20 cm in length. Its flowers are shaped like hibiscus flowers. The color of the petals contains darker veins, the main background is most often dark purple. Flowering lasts from early summer to mid-September. Variegated varieties have been developed. The most commonly cultivated in gardens are:
- Candy Floss is a variety with pale pink buds.
- Rosea is a bright lavatera with a rich pink color.
Lavatera Thuringian
A large branched perennial plant up to 2 m high. The leaves can be round or heart-shaped, they have slight pubescence. The color of the leaf blades is greenish-gray. In the lower layers of the bush they have a lobed shape. The flowers are solitary, the buds are painted pink in various shades, the diameter of the inflorescences is up to 10 cm. The flowers are formed in the axils of the leaves, from where they grow on long stalks. Common varieties:
- Bregon Springs is a tall, powerful bush up to 130 cm in height. The leaves are three-lobed, with a grayish tint. The pink-purple flowers have visible crimson veins.
- Lilac Lady is a variety that produces delicate lilac flowers.
- Barnsley Baby is a plant with white and pink buds.
- Burgundy Vine is a variety with pink inflorescences on which purple veins stand out.
- Eye Catcher - The flowers of this lavatera are a rich pink color.
In the southern regions of Russia you can find a plant called “Lavatera Primorskaya” (it is also called “Lavatera bicolor”). The bush of this variety grows up to 1.5 meters in height, the flowers combine two shades of lilac.
Lavatera Moorish, growing up to 80 cm, is also intended for growing in warm climates. It has pubescent stems and rounded leaves with a pointed tip. The flowers are small, dark red, about 3 cm in diameter.
Lavatera Moorish 
Lavatera is grown by seedlings in order to get it to bloom faster, because in the middle zone you have to wait quite a long time for stable warm weather. Wild rose is not afraid of heat and drought, but can be sensitive to cold temperatures, since in the wild it grows in warm climates. It is recommended to sow seeds in open ground in the spring, after the end of frost.
When growing lavatera in seedlings, sowing is done much earlier.
It is recommended to sow lavatera seeds for seedlings at home in late February or early March. It is necessary to take into account the timing of planting plants in open ground. If you sow in March, by mid-May you will have strong bushes that can be planted in the flowerbed. In warm regions, lavatera can be transplanted into the flower garden earlier. Therefore, it is better to start harvesting seedlings in February, and plant them in open ground in April.
The bottom of the seedling box is covered with a layer of expanded clay, and soil is poured on top. Lavatera is not picky about the composition of the soil, so for growing seedlings you can buy universal soil at a gardening store. The earth is pre-moistened. The seeds do not require soaking; they are sown dry, immersed approximately 1 cm deep. The top of the crops is covered with glass or film to create a greenhouse effect. Typically, seedlings appear 1-2 weeks after sowing.
The cover must be removed briefly every day to allow the plantings to be ventilated. Make sure the soil is constantly moderately moist. It is best to water the crops using a spray bottle with settled water at room temperature. Condensation from the glass or film is removed so that it does not fall on the tender sprouts, otherwise the seedlings may rot.
Helpful advice! Periodically turn the seedling box with the other side towards the light so that the seedlings do not bend.
It’s even better if you install additional lighting next to the seedlings. Make sure that the lamp is located no closer than 30 cm from the seedlings. As soon as the seedlings get stronger, the top cover is removed. Plants dive after the appearance of two pairs of true leaves, while pinching the root by 1/3.
Planting in open ground
Bushes are planted in open ground in rows, maintaining a distance of 20-25 cm between them. For tall varieties, support will need to be provided.
For a heat-loving plant, frosts are disastrous, so lavatera is planted in open ground in the middle zone no earlier than the second half of May. Otherwise, all your work on growing seedlings may go to waste.
- Before planting, you need to dig up the ground with a bayonet-deep shovel.
- For 1 square meter of flower bed you need to add 5 kg of ready-made compost or humus.
- In addition, mineral fertilizers are scattered over the surface of the soil, mixing one tablespoon each of nitrophoska, urea superphosphate and potassium sulfate.
- All this will provide the plants with a supply of nutrients necessary for full growth.
Lavatera should grow in a sunny place, otherwise the flowering will be much weaker. Choose open, illuminated areas for planting it. All care comes down to watering in dry weather and tearing off faded buds. In hot, dry weather, the plant is watered once every 7 days.
On a note! Lavatera does not like excess moisture, so if you doubt the need for watering, it is better to postpone it for another couple of days - this way you will definitely not harm the plant.
There is no need to trim or shape the bush. In the fall, seeds are collected from the plant, which can be used later for planting. Closer to winter, lavatera prepare shelter for perennial varieties. The bushes are bent to the ground, fixed and covered with spruce branches on top or sprinkled with peat. You can also use dry leaves for this purpose.
Fertilizers
During the entire growing season, lavatera is fertilized twice: fertilizing is applied to the soil before planting seedlings and after the first buds appear on the plant. Flowering bushes are fertilized with a solution of sodium sulfate and potassium sulfate, adding 1 tablespoon of each fertilizer to a bucket of water. Fertilizing is especially important if lavatera grows in poor soils.
To the delight of gardeners, Lavatera is one of those plants that rarely get sick. The only pest that can attack it is aphids. At the first sign of the presence of a harmful insect, treat the bushes with a soapy solution or apply an industrial insecticide.
Rainy weather can cause rust to appear on lavatera leaves. Fungal spores ripen in yellow pustules that are located on the underside of the leaf. If measures are not taken in a timely manner, the disease will quickly spread to healthy plants. If a fungal disease is detected, all affected leaves and stems must be removed. After this, the bush is treated with a fungicide. The drugs “Topaz” and “Hom” help well. If the plant is severely affected, it is better to remove it completely.
Wild rose is good both in single and group plantings. With its help you can create a bright spot on a grassy lawn, or near tall bushes and trees. Some people use tall varieties of lavatera to decorate fences and outbuildings on their summer cottage.
You can successfully combine lavatera varieties with different flower colors in a group planting, alternately planting bushes with white, pink and purple flowers.
Tall and low varieties of wild roses are also combined with each other. The advantages of the plant include a long flowering period; lavatera can decorate the garden until the onset of frost. It also looks great in bouquets. Lavatera can be planted in group compositions with dahlias, phlox, asters, and nasturtiums. Its beauty is enhanced by irises, sage and lanster. Lavatera plantings can transform the most dull landscape.
Growing lavatera: video
If you want to have a beautiful flower bed on your site, but have absolutely no time to care for flowers, Lavatera will help you out. Those who like variety can plant annual wild rose varieties and then grow something else the following season. In the case when you want to plant beautiful flowers and forget about the hassle of planting for several years, you can safely plant perennials. Either way, Lavatera is a plant that will not disappoint you.
