Lavatera
Lavatera: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
Plants called lavateras belong to the mallow family, Malvaceae. The horticultural name Lavatera remains widely used, although current botanical classifications place the group within Malva. It includes annuals, herbaceous perennials, shrubs and subshrubs. Bushy forms often called tree mallows are particularly familiar in gardens. This common name describes a range of plants rather than one species or a uniform life cycle.The simple, alternate leaves are generally rounded to angular, with several more or less pronounced lobes. Their edges may be toothed. Foliage is green or grey green depending on the plant, sometimes covered with tiny hairs that soften its appearance. Long leaf stalks hold the blades away from the stems. In shrubby forms, branches create an open bush; woody bases persist while new shoots carry much of the foliage. The plant’s texture is therefore shaped by both leaves and branching.Cup-shaped or funnel-shaped flowers have five large petals, often pink, mauve…
