I have mine in a large pot. It goes into the cold room for the winter with a monthly minimal watering, but that is all. In the spring I bring her back out, but it does take a while for it to come back. It surely looks like a dead stick, but when the warm weather comes, she perks up, and away we go again. This will be her 4th year.

It will not survive outside in your zone no matter how much you much it. It does not tolerate frost very much at all. If you want it to survive you must pot it up and bring it inside.

I have grown several varieties of Malvaceae from seed. Even though they are a tender perennial, I grow them as an annual. If started indoors a couple of months early they will bloom that year. So If you insist on trying your plant outside, hedge your bets and gather some seed from it first.

Thanks to everyone for their help. I managed to dig the monster tree out of the ground today and pot it up. It is huge in the pot, and will be overwintering in the heated garage. Hopefully flowers will appear next year, from all I have read for this plant it only blooms in its second season.

"from all I have read for this plant it only blooms in its second season." Hmmm. Mine has bloomed for the past 3 years, but not particularly well this year. When I was in Stratford, ON a few years ago, I saw a 6 foot Lavatara tree which the gardener moved in and out of the green house. I give mine a rest in the winter, and start her up again in the early spring. Lots of lugging in and out of the garage, - just like my brugmansia trees. Labour of love ... LOL

Allo Donna

There must be someone on a forum from the west coast, especially California who can give you all kinds of tips. We grow a regular pink lavatera in Victoria. It can flower totally out of season when maples are bare. A lavatera cannot freeze by the roots. Above ground can freeze. I started a lavatera in my old garden by planting branches before April as new growth was appearing on a local specimen. The small tree grows quite fast and must be kept upright with a post. It produces litter in summer. But can take periods of drought while in full flower.

Good Luck

An update on the monster tree: I managed to keep it alive and green until January, with watering once a month while overwintering indoors. It started to dry and leaves crumbled and things did not improve. The stems and trunk started to rot and soften considerably, so today I had to clear it out of the house. I will probably grow another one this year and try again to overwinter it.