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Features
From summer to early autumn brilliant white flowers appear, intially as rolled up ‘cones’, then opening up against a backdrop of dark green foliage.
What to use it for
Perfect as a taller annual for the middle of beds or borders. Suitable for gravel and Mediterranean style gardens. Can also be grown in containers.
How to look after it
Requires little maintenance.
Plant out when the last chance of frost has passed and make sure that you don’t overwater it.
How to prune it
Prune to remove any damaged foliage and spent flowers. Cut down to ground level, or remove the whole plant, when it has finished flowering.
How to propagate it
Sow seeds in spring at 21°C, they should take 7 to 21 days to germinate. You should expect the plants to flower within 16 weeks of being sown. Alternatively, for earlier flowers, sow in autumn and overwinter in warm conditions.
If you collect seeds from your own plants (seed collected from cultivars such as ‘White Satin’ may not come true to type), discard any loose chaff surrounding the seeds before storing them.
Common problems
May be affected by hollyhock rust or leaf spot. Generally not affected by pests.
Other useful information
The genus name ‘Lavatera‘ is named after J.R. Lavater, a Swiss doctor and naturalist in the 16th century.
