Lavatera

I have a Lavatera (not sure about the spelling), i didn't cut it back last year, so it's quite big now, what i need to know is how far back i can take it.
Thanks

 

Hello gmw13 and welcome to GC!

You obviously have the perennial Lavatera and not the annual variety. Normally with the perennial variety you should prune it back after a flush of flowering to encourage bushiness and further flowering. It depends on how big it is now but as they are frost hardy, I think you could take it back considerably.

 

Lavetera can withstand a really heavy pruning. We had one which I really liked but Andrew didn't he cut it off to about 6" above ground in the hopes that it would die but it grew again and was lovely by the summer! :D

 

I'd go further and say that if you don't prune it back hard you'll have the usual problem I come across, which is that the branches break and tear, creating opportunities for disease to enter the plant.
It's a glorious plant, one of my favourites, and I love to see the tumbling flowers all through summer, and hate to see it dying, as so often I do :(

 

Interesting Dendrobe - this particular plant is one of your favourites!

I must be missing something as I can't take to it at all. If (like most Lavateras I seem to see) its not pruned hard back each year then its a squally mass of tree like branches and not alot else.

Please do take time to enlighten me as to why its one of your favourites as I probably can learn from you views.

Kind regards
Roy

 

It can be an absolute mass of flowers, and it keeps going all summer. It's one of those plants that makes me feel happy, just to see it so colourful! Nothing more than that - no horticultural reasons - just a feel-good plant for me! :D

 

I didn't say above ... they are a nightmare here ... a weed ... can't get rid of the stuff ... grows eveywhere ... drifts ... get my drift ...

 

I too enjoy its exuberant flowering but it does tend to be quite short lived even with hard spring pruning. I have one in the front garden back against the fence which whilst it still produces the odd flowering stem, is well over 10 years old, so long past its prime, and indeed old age.

 

Do they seed themselves by you Fran like here? It's really a problem!

 

I've not known them do it..... They were abundant in Hemel, not far from Fran - but I can't say I've seen little ones near the main bushes, so I guess not!