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Alyogyne huegelii, the lilac or blue hibiscus, is a large-flowered shrub from coastal Western and South Australia, widely grown in gardens for its hibiscus-like flowers in many colours. Key to growing it is well-drained soil, frost protection, and heavy pruning after flowering to keep it bushy.
Alyogyne huegelii is a flowering plant found in the Southwest botanical province of Western Australia, extending along its entire coastline. A large-flowered shrub, the species favours the sands of coastal shrublands and heath.
The large flower, highly variable in colour, is similar to that of Hibiscus. It was previously placed in that genus, and is commonly named lilac hibiscus and blue hibiscus. It is widely cultivated as a flowering plant for the garden. Previously published varieties and cultivars are no longer formally recognised.
A large number of variants in the species have been cultivated, the colours of white, cream, purple. lilac, mauve, and the somewhat erroneous blue are traded as varieties or cultivars. The natural variance of leaf form has also been exploited in the selection of plants for the market, fine or dissected leaves may have been hybridised with Alyogyne hakeifolia. The former name of Hibiscus huegelii, along with other synonyms, is still given in some sources.
Propagation is successful by cuttings, grown in well-drained soil, avoidance of frosts and the usual caution regarding phosphorus and species from the region is recommended. The sparse lower branching habit of the species, and inducement to a desirable habit, is achieved by heavy pruning after flowering.
Preference for temperate and sandy coastal plains from Geraldton to the Esperance Plains, predominantly those of the north and south mallee shrubland and heath. A wide range of habitat includes that on sands, limestone and clay, and granite, where it extends to the Coolgardie region. The distribution of the Alyogyne species in South Australia is likely to be that of another species.
Alyogyne hakeifolia · African rosemallow · Kenaf · Scarlet rosemallow · Desert rosemallow · Paleface · Philip Island hibiscus · Hibiscus · Heartleaf rosemallow · Muenchhusia moscheutos · Dixie rosemallow · Hibiscus paramutabilis
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Alyogyne huegelii by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
