Texas Rock Rose (Pavonia lasiopetala)

Texas Rock Rose (Patonia lasiopetala) is a native Texas plant that stands up to the fierce Texas heat. It has a long bloom period and gives a rose-pink flower. The name “Rock Rose” dates to at least 1936 and “Texas Rock Rose” from the 1980s.
   
   
Wikipedia: Pavonia (plant)
Pavonia is a plant genus in the family Malvaceae.
   
Magnolia Gardens Nursery
Pavonia lasiopetala
Texas Rock Rose
Description
Pavonia lasiopetala is a Texas Native that is extremely drought tolerant, although is does not mind a little water now and then. Texas Rock Rose can be see growing native in the Edwards Plateau, Rio Grande Plains, and the Trans Pecos areas of Texas. The most eye-catching feature of this plant is the Hibiscus-like pink to rose colored flowers. These flowers are generally 1” in diameter and the Rock Rose will stay in bloom from summer till fall. This is a shrub-like perennial that can get woody at the base, it should come back every year if planted South of its native habitat. If planted further North, plant on the South side of a structure and be sure to mulch in the winter to prevent the roots from freezing. To keep this plant in bloom and to prevent legginess it can be trimmed back throughout the growing season. Texas Rock Rose generally only last 3-4 years but will reseed freely and the seedlings can replace the older plants.
   
Plants for Texas
Pavonia lasiopetala - Texas Rock Rose
Features:
Pavonia lasiopetala is a Texas Native that is extremely drought tolerant, although it does not mind a little water now and then. Texas Rock Rose can be seen growing native in the Edwards Plateau, Rio Grande Plains, and the Trans Pecos areas of Texas. The most eye-catching feature of this plant is the Hibiscus-like pink to rose colored flowers.
Hardiness Zones: USDA Zone 8 (10 °F) to USDA Zone 9 (20 °F)
Height: Grows 15” tall and 24” wide. Space 3’ apart.
Exposure: Plant in Full Sun to Partial Sun.
Bloom Time: Blooms from Summer until Fall.
Water Requirements: Water once per week until established.
Does best in a well-drained soil.
   
Texas Native Plants Database
Pavonia, Rose Mallow, Rock Rose, Wright Pavonia
Pavonia lasiopetala
Malvaceae
Pavonia is a popular garden accent plant throughout Texas, even though it originates on dry, rocky woods or banks of South, Central or West Texas. Its popularity is no doubt due to its long bloom period and versatility, accepting full sun to half day shade, a variety of soils, and very dry to regularly irrigated conditions. This small, perennial shrub is woody at the base, herbaceous above, bearing light green, velvety, heart-shaped leaves and deep rose pink miniature hibiscus-like flowers which open in the morning and close up by early afternoon in our highest heat. Its naturally loose, open-branching form may be kept more compact by frequent pruning, which promotes new growth and more flowers. Pavonia is reputed to be short-lived: 3 to 6 years, but self sows readily or may be easily propagated by saved seed or softwood cuttings.
Plant Habit or Use: small shrub
Exposure: sun
partial sun
Flower Color: deep rose pink
Blooming Period: spring
summer
fall
Fruit Characteristics: capsule with 5 seeds
Height: 1.5 to 4 feet
Width: 3 feet
Plant Character: deciduous
semievergreen
Heat Tolerance: high
Water Requirements:
Soil Requirements: neutral
alkaline
USDA Hardiness Zone: 8
 
(Dictionary of American Regional English)
rockrose
A mallow B (here: Pavonia lasiopetala) esp TX
1936 Whitehouse TX Flowers 73, Rock Rose, Pavonia, Pink Mallow (Pavonia lasiopetala)...is found in dry, rocky woods from Central Texas to Mexico.
1998 DARE File—Internet sTX [Watersaver Native Plants], Rock Rose (Pavonia lasiopetala)...pink flowers spring to fall.
 
Google Books
Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide
By Campbell Loughmiller, Lynn Loughmiller, Lynn Sherrod
Contributor Lynn Sherrod
Austin, TX: University of Texas Press
1984
Pg. 162:
Pavonia lasiopetala
Pavonia Mallow (Rock Rose)
Pavonia mallow has a rose-pink flower that looks like a wild rose from a distance. It has five petals, veined in deeper pink, and is about 1 1/2 inches across. The sepals open out almost flat, and the blossom is slightly cup-shaped. The leaves are in clumps of 5-7, and the blossoms are on a 1-inch stem that grows from these leaf clusters. Leaves are gently toothed, 1-2 1/2 inches long and almost as broad. The plant has several loosely arranged branches and is somewhat shrubby. It is able to withstand dry weather remarkably well. Photographed north of Uvalde in late September. South-Central Texas to the Rio Grande. April-September.
 
7 April 1988, New Braunfels (TX) Herald-Zeitung, “Wildflower Symposium,” pg. 8A, col. 3:
She showed many yards that used native plants to advantage and cited “pavonia” or rock rose as a favorite to use.
   
Austin (TX) American-Statesman
Pavonia, a native perennial, looks at home in a cottage garden or growing wild in a Hill Country field.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Pavonia is a lovely native perennial that looks at home in a cottage garden or growing wild in a Hill Country field. In the home garden, you can keep it looking compact and tidy with an occasional light shearing, which promotes new growth and heavier blooming. Pavonia (aka Texas Rock Rose, Pavonia lasiopetala) is drought- and heat-tolerant, not picky about soil (as long as it drains well) and accepts dappled sun, part sun or full sun. Its deep rose-pink hibiscus-like flowers open in the morning and close in the afternoon. (The blooms stay open longer if the plant gets afternoon shade. Mulch it well before the start of cold weather. In a harsh winter, it might freeze to the ground, but it will grow back in the spring. A single Pavonia shrub lives three to six years, but it likes to self-sow, so you’ll never run out of replacement plants.
— Renee Studebaker
     
The Bicycle Garden
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Texas Rock Rose
I’ve never been a big fan of pink flowers, but I dunno, this summer I seem to be planting a few of them. Like this Texas rock rose (Pavonia)—how could I not love it? Maybe it’s my inner girl finally coming out after 51 years…