Other Names:  Lavatera assurgentiflora, Malva Rosa

Description:

Silky rose-pink flowers, with striking fuchsia veins and white eyes from spring to fall; wind and drought tolerant once established; fast growing and easy to maintain; at its best in coastal environments; fall pruning helps maintain a nice habit

Ornamental Features

Island Mallow features showy rose flowers with pink overtones, white eyes and fuchsia veins along the branches from mid spring to mid fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It has grayish green foliage with chartreuse veins. The fuzzy lobed leaves do not develop any appreciable fall color.

Landscape Attributes

Island Mallow is an open multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Spreading

Island Mallow is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Windbreaks and Shelterbelts
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Island Mallow will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 6 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. This plant will benefit from an application of bonemeal and/or mycorrhizal fertilizer at the time of planting. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America.

Island Mallow makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Its large size and upright habit of growth lend it for use as a solitary accent, or in a composition surrounded by smaller plants around the base and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.