Pavonia

Family. Malvaceae.

Origin. America, Asia, Africa.

Description. Pavonia is an elegant, perennial flowering shrub with thin but tough, branched, erect stems. The leaves are dark green, broadly lanceolate, up to 20 cm long, glossy with small teeth, have slight pubescence on the underside of the leaf blade, and are arranged alternately. In spring and summer, large, single, showy, white, yellow, orange, pink or red flowers appear at the top of the stems, often resembling hibiscus.

Height. Up to 1.5 m in indoor culture, grows quickly.

Care at home

Temperature conditions

A heat-loving plant that is kept all year round at a temperature of 15 - 26 ° C. It can withstand short frosts if it is in dry soil. 

Lighting

Well lit location with reflected sunlight. It can grow in partial shade, but flowering will be less abundant. 

Care

The tips of young shoots are regularly pinched to obtain a dense, branched plant. Stems that are too long and weak are cut off after flowering to give the plant a compact, neat shape.

Substrate

Adapts well to most soil types with good drainage. 

Feeding

During the period of active growth, feed with water-soluble fertilizers once a month. For abundant flowering, fertilizers with a high phosphorus content are used. Loves organic fertilizers.

Flowering time

Flowering will be abundant in spring and fall, but flowers may appear periodically at any time of the year. 

Air humidity

Pavonia needs sufficiently humid air. To increase humidity, place the plant pot on a tray of water covered with a wire rack or use a room humidifier. Make sure that the bottom of the pot does not come into contact with water. Leaves can be sprayed with water at room temperature. 

Soil moisture

During the growth period, water with softened bottled or rainwater at room temperature. The soil should dry out between waterings to a depth of about 5 - 7 cm. In autumn, the frequency of watering is reduced and the soil is dried to half the depth. 

Transplant

In spring, when new growth begins, young seedlings are transplanted into larger pots. In large specimens, the top layer of soil is replaced with fresh soil every year.

Reproduction

Propagated by semi-mature stem cuttings taken during pruning in spring and summer. It is recommended to sprinkle the base of the cuttings with root-forming powder. Seeds sown in spring will germinate in 2-5 weeks.

Pests and diseases

Rotting due to excess moisture and stagnation of water at the root system.

Among the harmful insects, the flower can be attacked by mealybugs, whiteflies, aphids, spider mites, and thrips.