Start Lavatera from Seed

By Vicki Marsh

Dear Bay Gardener

My son-in-law has a Lavatera shrub that I want a cutting from. How do I go about getting a good start from the original plant?
I can’t find a Lavatera. The only nurseries that have them seem to be in England or Ireland.

–Vicki Marsh, Deale

A Lavatera plants are grown almost exclusively from seeds. Cuttings root poorly and do not perform well; they don’t transplant well either. The seeds are easy to germinate, but they have about a three-month dormancy period after they have matured.