Lavatera thuringiaca First Light - Tree Mallow

Lavatera thuringiaca First Light, also known as Tree Mallow, is a perennial variety that offers lovely white flowers, slightly tinged with pale pink in the centre, which appear throughout the summer. They appear on tall hairy stems covered with beautiful lobed green foliage. It is a plant that quickly reaches a good metre and its slightly wild appearance suits many styles of garden.

Lavateras belong to the large Malvaceae family. It is a genus that includes many species, some more woody and others can be annual, biennial or perennial.

Lavatera Thuringiaca is a perennial species native to Central and Southwest Europe. The variety 'First Light' offers flowers ranging from 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3in) in diameter, with five petals.  These are a beautiful pure white slightly tinged with pink in the centre. These flowers are short-lived but they constantly renew themselves from July to August. Its habit is spreading and quickly reaches a height of 1 metre (3 feet), or even 1.5 metres (5 feet), with a width of 1 to 1.2 metres (3 to 4 feet).

It is a sun loving plant that can tolerate any soil, even ordinary, dry and well-drained soil. It withstands summer drought but requires good staking in gardens exposed to strong winds.

Its maintenance is very simple and consists only of cutting back its stems, in early winter, to a height of 50 cm (20in).

Lavatera First Light is fairly hardy but it should be protected with a good layer of dead leaves in regions with very harsh winters. It withstands sea spray well and can therefore be planted by the seaside.

In the garden, it forms beautiful backgrounds in mixed borders and pairs very well with roses. It can easily be associated with annuals like the tall Giant Cosmos Sensation Radiance or perennials like Sedum Herbstfreude, Yarrows and also with its relatives the hollyhocks and mallow.