Lavatera 'Burgundy Wine' (Tree Mallow) – Flowering Shrub (2L Pot)

Lavatera 'Burgundy Wine' is a tree mallow carrying deep burgundy pink funnel shaped flowers from June through to October.

The colour is the darkest of the mallows, a rich rose pink rather than a true red, and it shows well against the soft grey green lobed leaves. The plant grows fast to about one and a half to two metres tall by a metre or more across, so it fills space quickly and can be used as an informal screen behind lower perennials. Bees and butterflies work it all season.

Grow it in full sun in a sheltered position, in soil that drains freely. It takes salt air and suits a coastal garden, but the stems are brittle and break in wind, so avoid the most exposed spot. Heavy waterlogged ground is the one thing it will not forgive. Once settled it needs little watering.

Prune it hard each spring back to a low framework of healthy buds, which keeps it compact and flowering. Like all the shrubby mallows it is short lived and generous rather than permanent, usually going woody and splitting after four or five years. Supplied as an established plant in a 2L pot.

Cultural Information

• Common Name: Tree mallow
• Fully Grown Height and Spread: 1.5 to 2m tall by 1 to 1.5m wide
• Growth Habit: Bushy, upright, vigorous shrub
• Perfect For: Cottage gardens, mixed borders, wildlife planting, informal screens and coastal gardens
• Foliage: Soft grey green lobed leaves
• Flowering Time: June to October
• Planting Position: Full sun in a sheltered spot. Fully hardy, drought tolerant once established and salt tolerant.
• Soil Type: Well drained, moderately fertile soil. Avoid waterlogged ground.
• Hardiness: Hardy in most of Britain, but naturally short lived, and a hard winter on wet soil can finish an older plant
• Maintenance: Cut back hard each spring to a low framework of buds.
• Seasonal Interest: Summer and autumn
• Type: Hardy flowering shrub