Anisodontea Carnival Lights® Candy Apple ('IB201-7')
Cape mallow
Rich, velvety blooms bring a bold splash of colour with large near-red pink flowers etched in deep crimson veins and finished with a striking dark eye.
Anisodontea Carnival Lights Candy Apple forms a neat, upright shrub with soft grey-green foliage, giving it a light, airy presence that won’t overwhelm a planting scheme. It’s a natural fit for sunny patios, containers or warm borders, where it flowers reliably from late spring right through to autumn, keeping displays fresh and lively for months.
This cultivated variety has been shortlisted for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Year for 2026, and stands out for its larger, longer-lasting blooms and excellent drought tolerance once established, making it a practical choice as well as a showy one. Easy to shape with a light trim and quick to bounce back, it’s ideal if you want something that’s moderately low-fuss that still delivers plenty of impact. Bees and butterflies will happily visit too.
Please note that any pots in the photographs are not supplied with the plants (which are sent out in simple nursery alternatives), but we have a wide and wonderful range on our website to choose from.
Anisodontea Carnival Lights Candy Apple forms a neat, upright shrub with soft grey-green foliage, giving it a light, airy presence that won’t overwhelm a planting scheme. It’s a natural fit for sunny patios, containers or warm borders, where it flowers reliably from late spring right through to autumn, keeping displays fresh and lively for months.
This cultivated variety has been shortlisted for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Year for 2026, and stands out for its larger, longer-lasting blooms and excellent drought tolerance once established, making it a practical choice as well as a showy one. Easy to shape with a light trim and quick to bounce back, it’s ideal if you want something that’s moderately low-fuss that still delivers plenty of impact. Bees and butterflies will happily visit too.
Please note that any pots in the photographs are not supplied with the plants (which are sent out in simple nursery alternatives), but we have a wide and wonderful range on our website to choose from.
How to care for Anisodontea Carnival Lights® Candy Apple ('IB201-7'):
Choose a warm, sunny, sheltered spot with free-draining soil, as it dislikes wet ground conditions; dig in a bit of compost to improve structure, plant at the same depth as the pot, firm in gently and water well to settle. For containers, use a loam-based (John Innes 2) or multipurpose compost with added grit for drainage, and pick a pot with good drainage holes as they won’t tolerate waterlogging.
Water regularly while it establishes, then ease off as it becomes more drought tolerant, feeding every couple of weeks through the growing season to keep flowering strong. Lightly trim back after flowering or in early spring to maintain a tidy shape and encourage bushier growth, and in colder areas it’s worth giving some winter protection or moving pots to a sheltered position as it's not fully hardy.
Water regularly while it establishes, then ease off as it becomes more drought tolerant, feeding every couple of weeks through the growing season to keep flowering strong. Lightly trim back after flowering or in early spring to maintain a tidy shape and encourage bushier growth, and in colder areas it’s worth giving some winter protection or moving pots to a sheltered position as it's not fully hardy.
Flowering period:
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Eventual height:
1m
Eventual spread:
0.6m
Position:
Full sun
Rate of growth:
Average
Soil:
Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Hardiness:
Borderline hardy (will need protection in winter in colder areas)
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This shrub is deciduous so it will lose all its leaves in autumn, then fresh new foliage appears again each spring.
