NICE! Plant of the Month
(Pavonia lasiopetala)
Family: Malvaceae
Other Common Names: Rose Mallow, Rock Rose
Type: Low shrub.
Natural Habitat: Edwards Plateau, Rio Grande Plains, and Trans-Pecos.
Growth: 2-3 feet.
Deer Resistance: No.
Wildlife: Butterflies.
Light Tolerance: Full sun, dappled shade, part shade.
Flowers: Pink, 2″ hibiscus-like blooms; opening in the morning and closing in the afternoon; March-November.
Leaves: Medium-sized, velvety, and scalloped, remaining on the plant in a mild winter.
Water Requirements: Low
Soil Requirements: Well-drained sites; sand, loam, clay, caliche.
Planting Instructions: Space plants 2-3 feet apart. Dig a hole at least two times wider than, but the same depth as the root ball in the nursery container. Sides of the hole should be irregular, not smooth. Remove plant from container, taking care to support the root ball. Loosen exterior roots gently with your fingers. If the plant is root-bound and cannot be loosened by hand, the outer roots may be cut in several places. Lift the plant by the root ball and place into the hole. Backfill hole, using soil that was dug out. Do not add any soil to the top of the root ball. Gently firm the soil with your hands, but do not tamp it down. Place 3-4 inches of mulch over the bare soil around, but not touching the base of the plant.
Watering Instructions after planting: Water deeply after planting to settle soil around roots. Then water every 7-10 days, as needed, during the first growing season. Before watering, check soil moisture at a depth of an inch or two at the edge of the root ball. Skip a watering after a rainfall of ½ to 1 inch. Maintain this watering schedule until the first fall. Reduce watering during the cool and winter months. In a “normal” year, no watering may be necessary during the fall and winter, but during a dry period, monthly watering may be needed. Second Spring and thereafter: Water monthly only during the periods of drought. Once established, native will survive with little supplemental irrigation.
NICE! Tip: It is a short lived perennial, but reproduces freely by seed. Giving the plant shade in the afternoon keeps the flowers open longer. It reproduces freely by seed. Cut back anytime February to October to prevent legginess. Use instead of non-native Indian Hawthorne, Dwarf Crape Myrtle or Cape Plumbago.
Look for the NICE! Plant of the Month signs and information sheets on your next visit to a participating Boerne nursery. And thank you for supporting native plants by using them in your landscapes.
