Lavatera 'Barnsley Baby' is a charming compact form of the ever-popular Lavatera 'Barnsley', producing an abundance of delicate, funnel-shaped flowers in soft blush-white with a distinctive rose-pink eye at the centre. Flowering generously from early summer right through to mid-autumn, this hardy mallow brings months of colour and elegance to garden borders, cottage-style plantings and patio containers alike.

A naturally bushy and well-branched shrub, 'Barnsley Baby' is notably more compact than its parent variety, making it an excellent choice for smaller gardens or where a lower-growing mallow is preferred. The soft grey-green, lobed foliage provides an attractive backdrop to the profusion of blooms and adds a Mediterranean feel to any planting scheme.

This plant is supplied as an outdoor garden-ready flowering shrub in a 17cm root-ball, ready for immediate planting into borders, beds or a suitably sized container.

Key Features:

• Profuse pale pink-white flowers with a rose-pink eye from June to October


• Compact, bushy growth habit – ideal for smaller gardens and containers


• Hardy and easy to grow in most well-drained soils


• Attracts bees, butterflies and other pollinators


• Low maintenance – simply prune back in spring to encourage vigorous new growth


• Supplied as a garden-ready plant in a 17cm root-ball

Planting and Care:

Plant in a sheltered, sunny position in fertile, well-drained soil. Lavatera thrives in full sun and will tolerate lighter soils, including chalky and sandy conditions. Avoid waterlogged or very heavy clay soils. In spring, cut back the previous year's growth to a low framework of sturdy stems to promote fresh, vigorous shoots and abundant flowering. A light mulch around the base in autumn can help protect the roots during colder winters.

Cultural Information:

• Botanical Name: Lavatera x clementii 'Barnsley Baby' (syn. Malva x clementii 'Barnsley Baby')


• Common Names: Hardy Mallow, Tree Mallow, Barnsley Baby Mallow


• Classification: Semi-evergreen Shrub


• Fully Grown Height and Spread: Approximately 1.2 m x 1.2 m


• Growth Habit: Compact, Bushy, Upright Semi-evergreen Shrub


• Perfect For: Borders, Cottage Gardens, Containers, Mixed Planting Schemes


• Flowering Time: June to October


• Flower Colour: Pale Blush-White with a Rose-Pink Eye


• Planting Position: Full Sun, Sheltered


• Soil Type: Fertile, Well-Drained (tolerates chalky and sandy soils)


• Hardiness: Hardy (RHS H5)


• Attracts: Bees, Butterflies and Pollinators


• Foliage: Soft Grey-Green, Lobed Leaves


• Pruning: Cut back hard in Spring to a low woody framework

Notes: This listing is for the Barnsley Baby variety – a naturally compact mallow that is well suited to gardens of all sizes.