Synonyms

Lavatera 'White Satin', Lavatera trimestris 'Mont Blanc' and Lavatera thuringiaca 'Mont Blanc'.

Family

Malvaceae

Common name/s ?

Mallow 'Mont Blanc', mallow 'White Satin', tree mallow 'Mont Blanc' and tree mallow 'White Satin'.

Skill rating

Easy

Origin

Mediterranean.

Type of plant ?

Herbaceous annual.

Hardiness zone ?

RHS zone

Frost hardy

EGF zone

H3

USDA zone

5-9

Eventual size

To 75cm height and spread.

Growth rate ?

Should reach this size in one year of growth.

Shape it grows into

Upright, branching herbaceous growth.

Season/s of interest

Flowers from summer to early autumn.

Where to grow it

Happiest in full sun.
Prefers well drained to moist soil.

Happy in all soil types and pH. Can tolerated exposed, as well as sheltered, sites and any aspect except north-facing.

Lavatera 'Mont Blanc'

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.