Lavatera, Kashmir Tree Mallow, Xin jiang hua kui
Lavatera cachemiriana
Family: Malvaceae
What it is like
A herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It is 1-2 m high and spreads 60 cm wide. The leaf stalk is 1-4 cm long. The leaf blade can have 2 forms. The leaves near the base are nearly round while the leaves near the top are 3-5 lobed. Leaves are 4-8 cm long and 5-9 cm across. The lobes are triangular. The flowers are reddish purple. They are about 8 cm across.
There are about 25 Lavatera species.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It grows in wet meadows or sunny sloped between 540-2200 m in SW China. It suits hardiness zones 6-10.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Australia, Central Asia, China, Himalayas, Kashmir, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Leaves