In message .com, Mike
Lyle writes

I twice had these die on me after a year or so of rapid flourishing.
IIRC, the first was the type (if it has a type) and the second a
Barnsley. It was in west Wales, but in partly exposed positions on a
slightly raised bed of very poor soil. I could never work out if the
poverty and poor water-retention of the soil were to blame, or if I was
just unlucky with frosts. three eucalypts, a deutzia, some berberis and
other things nearby were perfectly happy. No sign of disease.

Any ideas?

The cultivated shrubby Lavateras are mostly hybrids, and as such there
isn't a wild type. The taxonomic type, used when Cheek formally
described Lavatera x clementi, is a specimen of Lavatera x clementii
'Rosea', which is the original and commonest variety.

Lavateras appear not to like waterlogging - that's how I've lost a few.
They're not completely bone-hardy with respect to frost, but 'Rosea' and
'Barnsley' are pretty good. (I think 'Bredon Springs' is the hardiest.)
(My allotment is sufficiently exposed that I've lost Lavateras to frost
there, and had others cut back to the ground. I also lost some
herbaceous forms this spring, but whether this was wet and cold, or
rapageous gastropods ....) They will also not tolerate a great amount of
shade from other shrubs.
--
alias Ernest Major
http://www.malvaceae.info