Sea mallow

Lavatera maritima

Description

Sea mallow is native to the coastal areas and Mediterranean climate zones of southern France, that develops into a large mounding shrub, 6-10 ft. high, 8-12 ft. wide. Foliage is comprised of palmately lobed pale gray-green leaves, growing 2-3 in. across. Showy 2-3 in. dia. lavender-white flowers have rose-purple centers and purple veins. Flowers on this species face outward, are more visible and occur over a very long flowering season, from early spring into late fall in coastal regions.

Similar to other shrub-type mallows, this species is fast growing, has flexible branches and stems and is adaptable to many landscape and garden conditions found in the Inland Empire. It is best adapted to full sun or light shade and with regular supplemental water during summer. It has become a popular flowering shrub that is grown as a flowering accent plant in background areas, for screening and for foliage contrast. It is easy to shape and size with simple pruning. It is sometimes available in nurseries as a patio tree in courtyard spaces.

Plant Type: Shrub
Foliage Character: Evergreen, Drought deciduous
Habit: Mounding
Growth Rate: Fast
Foliage Color: Pale green, Gray green
Flower Color: Lavender, Magenta
Flower Season: Summer, Spring, Fall
Soil Adaptations: Well-draining soil, Sand
Exposure Adaptations: Wind, Morning sun, Heat, Drought, Coastal salt air, All day sun
Function: Espalier, Banks, Background plant, Slopes, Screening, Residential spaces, Parks and open space, Flowering accent plant
Height: 6 ft. – 10 ft.
Width: 8 ft. – 12 ft.

Watering Schedule: Medium

For most situations, we recommend watering once per week after establishment, watering very deeply in summer, less deeply in fall and spring, and even less in winter.

See our recommendations for how much water to apply each time you water, below. Note that these recommendations are intended for inland valley areas of Southern California including the Inland Empire, San Gabriel, and San Fernando Valleys. People in cooler or warmer areas may use this as a baseline but should adjust based on local needs.

Learn how to provide 1” of water to your landscape here, and adjust to provide more or less based on the recommendations above for each time of year.

Seasonal Watering Recommendations

June – August: once per week, water deeply, applying approximately 1.25” of irrigation.
September – October: once per week, water deeply, applying approximately 0.75” of irrigation.
November – February: once per week, water deeply, applying approximately 0.5” of irrigation.
March-May: once per week, water deeply, applying approximately 0.75” of irrigation.

Learn how to provide 1” of water to your landscape here, and adjust to provide more or less based on the recommendations above for each time of year.

Adjusting to your local needs

These recommendations for Medium / Moderate water demanding plants were created for Southern California inland valley areas. Southern California areas closer to the coast and along the coast will usually be able to water significantly less during the warm months of the year. For desert areas, check with local experts to be sure plants are appropriate for the area and anticipate needing to water more.

As a very general baseline, people in Los Angeles and similar areas can try setting a schedule of 80% of the in Spring, Summer, and Fall and adjust as necessary based on observation. The difference is less pronounced in the winter months, so we recommend starting with the same recommendations as above for winter. People in cooler coastal areas such as Santa Monica can try using this same approach but adjust to use 75% of the chart recommended minutes for the Spring, Summer, and Fall months.

Important Notes

These are general guidelines. Always observe and adjust as necessary for your landscape.
If it rains over 1” you will likely not need to water for at least another week, possibly longer. Before watering again, check the soil. It should be significantly dry at least 4” below the soil surface before watering again.
It is important to group plants with the same water needs together in the landscape to avoid needing to over or under water plants when running your irrigation system.
“Smart timers” or weather sensitive irrigation controllers such as Rachio and Hunter Hydrawise are ideal for watering plants in this category because they will automatically adjust how much they water based on the weather so you do not need to reprogram the timer seasonally. Rebates for these types of irrigation controllers are available through socalwatersmart.com.

Plant Lists

Flowering Shrubs

View list

Sea mallow

Description

Watering Schedule: Medium

Seasonal Watering Recommendations

Adjusting to your local needs

Important Notes

Plant Lists

Flowering Shrubs

Plant Finder

Garden Designs

Helpful Lists

Set your preferred view

Welcome to the Waterwise Garden Digital Tour

Move around

Locate your sign

Refer back to these tips

Sea mallow

Description

Plant Lists

Flowering Shrubs

Sign Up For Free

Plant Finder

Garden Designs

Helpful Lists

Set your preferred view

Welcome to the Waterwise Garden Digital Tour

Move around

Locate your sign​

Refer back to these tips

Locate your sign