Lavatera bicolor - Bush Mallow
Lavatera bicolor flowers are pale lavender purple with a violet center. The 2.5 inch blossoms are almost always out with plenty of color visible. I frequently use Lavatera bicolor as a portion of the mixed hedge/screen. They form a dense mass 6 feet wide and up to 8 feet tall. Lavatera bicolor is hardy down to 20 degrees. I have had some success air layering them, sometimes accidentally. They start from semi hardwood cuttings taken in the early spring. Lavatera bicolor is a host for the West Coast Lady Butterfly, Vanessa annabella. Synonyms include Lavatera maritima and Lavatera maritima bicolor. Lavatera bicolor is also larval food for the Northern White Skipper, White Checkered Skipper, and a nectar source for migrating Painted Lady Butterflies and is a great addition to the Butterfly Garden. The parents of Lavatera bicolor are native to the Mediterranean.
Lavender and purple flowers of Lavatera bicolor - Bush Mallow. High resolution photos are part of our garden image collection.
Other plants from the Lavatera Genus featured on this site:
Lavatera assurgentifolia
Lavatera Barnsley
Lavatera purisima
Lavatera trimestris Pink Blush