Rock rose from Texas

Climbing over those hillsides of Southwest Texas with my dad while he was doing his research on plants toxic to our state’s sheep and goats, I kept seeing a beautiful little plant that looked like it might be from the big hibiscus clan. But this one was so much smaller, both in height and width, and especially in the size of its flowers.

Rock rose pavonia (Pavonia lasiopetala) is native to the Texas Hill Country, but it’s adapted to much of the rest of the state (Zones 8-11). Indeed, it is a cousin to hibiscus, cotton, okra, and roses-of-Sharon. You can tell that by comparing their flowers.

It grows out of rocky, alkaline soils to attain heights and widths of 2-3 ft. It’s a deciduous perennial that starts blooming by late spring and keeps putting out flowers well into fall. The blooms are about 1-1/2 in. across, single-petaled and soft pink (in most cases). They’re borne along upright stems, and they’re popular with butterflies, hummingbirds, and moths. There’s so much to love about this little plant.

Rock roses need full or nearly full sun to bloom to their best potential. While they are very tolerant of summertime droughts, they bloom far better when they’re kept uniformly moist. They require excellent drainage, so they’re excellent for planting into raised beds and on berms.

Pavonias have become almost mainstream plants in recent years. Commercial landscapers frequently include them, and so should we all. You should be able to find them in 1-gal. containers in better local nurseries now, or they may be getting a fresh supply in just before fall sales pick up.

Whenever and however you procure your rock roses, you’ll love having a little corner planted to this wonderful perennial. Give it a try and you’ll love it forever.