I am not an expert on Lavatera. I just grew last summer. I had only a few plants and all but one keeled over before blooming The one that made it bloomed like mad for a short while and then died. I think it may have gotten too hot. I had in full sun and we do have some hot days.

Like most perennials, they have a main bloom period, then rest. You may get a second bloom, though not as showy, if you cut the bloom stems back to the crown immediately after flowering, before seed starts to set. There are many species and varieties of lavatera, some bloom all season and some not, so it's hard to tell what you have there.

I've done the Silver Cup too. Last summer it started beautifully, but I think a really hot and humid spell did them in earlier than anticipated. I was actually thinking of doing a succession of planting of them this year too. The year before last I had the seedlings in containers longer than I should have and didn't get to plant them out in the garden until the middle of July. They bloomed beautifully in August and right up until fall.

~Deb

I know this task is time consuming especially for Lavatera, but if you want to extend their bloom time, deadhead, any seed heads forming, take some small pruners and nip them off, by doing this, youÂll have many, many more flowers to come.

My favourite of all Lavateras are the ÂRuby RegisÂ.

Sharon

I grew silver cup last year and man what a show ;-)I would like to try all of the different colors. I did find a lt. pink one called Pink Beauty to try this year with Silver cup. I got a ton of seeds off just one plant.
Wendey

I grew lavatera - Silver Cup and Ruby Regis - which I could barely tell apart. When the lavatera was over, the malope kicked in (which I liked better). The flowers are similar.

I have grown Silver Cup from seed in the garden for the last 4 years with good luck. The chipmunks planted some seeds in another bed that came up and did just fine. The start blooming in July and kept right on until frost. I did some deadheading and I agree that this seems to keep them going. I have trouble with leaf hoppers eating them, so I dust the plants with some Sevin. I didn't find any other colors and would like to.

We have three large lavatera bushes (6') that bloom from early July all the way into September. I'm in western WA and these lavateras are by Puget Sound and it is usually mid 60s + wind and occasionally into the 70s into the summer. I think too much heat makes them bloom too fast.

J