Impulse buy: Pale pavonia
Pale pavonia (Pavonia hastata ), the impulse buy
After saying somewhere recently that I rarely make impulse purchases for the garden, I’ve made quite a few lately. It’s one thing to be impulsive in the spring or fall, when the plant’s chances for survival are high, but quite another to be acting this way in the summer. Perhaps I can blame my lack of restraint on our long-delayed summer and plenty of rain. But now that it’s hot and dry, I really must stop. Must . . . stop.
Still, the pavonia is a pretty addition, and, hey, it was on sale at BSN. I just learned all I could want to know about it from Zanthan Gardens—thanks, MSS. (Don’t ya just love garden blogs—all that practical information, right at your fingertips!)
I’ll take her caution about its invasiveness under advisement. For now, I’m just enjoying the sight of those pale, burgundy-tinged, hibiscus-like flowers glowing in the shade of the cedar elm.
I couldn’t resist a close look at the bat-faced cuphea. My neighbor just gave me two volunteers from her garden, which I also planted. At least they were free.
I need to look for that. I ‘ve always liked Pavonia. And I prefer flowers that are white or blue, generally.
I’ve had worse ‘impulse-buys’ than that Pam. It looks great and certainly worthy of any garden especially yours. Great photo of your blue-bottle tree. Is that full height, or will it keep growing?
I think the bottle tree has reached its maximum height. Although I may put something on top of the post one of these days—a finial of some sort. —Pam
Ah – impulse buying is 1/2 the fun of it! It’s like throwing down the gauntlet to Mother Nature sometimes – I think gardeners just love a challenge. The deer ate my pavonia twice, so I did finally learn my lesson and i quite replanting it!
I’m still gardening sans deer, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that MoPac remains the barrier it’s traditionally proved to be. I like my pavonia, and my roses. —Pam
I think of rasberry swirl.
That would be a better name than “pale” pavonia. —Pam
I was going to say something about the pale pavonia being invasive…and then read on and I see I already did. LOL! I’ll have to go and read my own post. I’ve forgotten what I wrote about it. Does it name need an update? Has my opinion changed after living with it a few more years? I do really like the color of the pale ones better than the bright pinks.
Isn’t that funny? Yes, when I googled this plant, I was happy to see your site pop up right away with a description. So handy! —Pam
One of my Diva friends gave me this Pavonia last year but it never got out of the pot. [She gardens on soil like mine- not like yours, Pam.] After reading about its possible invasiveness, then seeing how far it had already moved in her garden, I chickened out in spite of its beauty.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Boy, I’ll have to keep a sharp eye on this one, it sounds like. —Pam
Great bottle tree, my husband is making me one but it is not in the ground yet. I have wanted one since seeing the Ray Charles movie. Lovely flowers as well.
Thanks! I look forward to seeing photos of yours when you get it “growing.” Will it have hanging bottles, like in the Ray Charles movie? —Pam