california native flora

Lavatera Purissima – Purissima Tree Mallow

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Lavatera Purissima is a tropical looking shrub, a hybrid of L. Assurgentiflora and L. Venosa which are native to California (http://www.malvaceae.info/Genera/Lavatera/californian.html). It will grow very quickly to over 8′ tall with dense foliage making it a good choice for a screen. The large purple hibiscus-like flowers appear from Spring through Summer. The blooms are very attractive, a glossy purple with dark veins. This evergreen plant grows in full or part sun and is drought tolerant once established.

I picked up this specimen from the Theodore Payne Foundation this past weekend. I had a chance to get Lavatera Assurgentiflora a couple of weeks prior to that but after some research I found that L. Assurgentiflora can have problems with insect pests that I know to frequent our garden. L. Purissima is known to be more garden tolerant and less prone to those pests so I decided that would be more appropriate for us.