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| Category: Shrub |
| Family: Malvaceae (w/Bombacaceae & Sterculeacea) |
| Origin: Australia (Australasia) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: White |
| Bloomtime: Year-round |
| Synonyms: [Hibiscus huegelii] |
| Height: 6-8 feet |
| Width: 6-8 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 25-30° F |
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Alyogyne huegelii 'White Swan' (White Australian Hibiscus) An evergreen shrub that grows to about 6-8 feet tall by as wide with 4 inch wide white flowers that blush violet and are borne solitarily in leaf axils - this species typically has flowers with pale blue petals. Primary flowering is in spring but it will often have a few flowers present nearly year-round. A fairly hardy and adaptable shrub, which is lime, drought and frost tolerant. It requires a well-drained soil, but can be grown in sand, loam or clay soils though resents phosphorus fertilizer. It can be grown in full sun, or in partial shade but blooms best with the brighter light. Protection from strong winds is desirable. Little watering is required, especially if the plants are established and well mulched. Once established supplementary watering should be required only during extremely dry condition, but is tolerated provided the plants are in a well-drained position. Cold hardy to 25° F. If unpruned Alyogyne huegelii becomes a little sparse of foliage on lower branches but this form seems more compact. Like the species it can be pruned back quite hard after flowering with new shoots initiating from old wood, or tipped back frequently and lightly during the flowering season and pruning will result in an even denser, more compact plant. This plant was one of many that were selected at the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum from material imported from Australia by the late Ray Collett and the name given this was a play on the cultivar name 'Swan River', a very popular cultivar in Australia. The species is native to South Australia and Western Australia. The generic name is derived from the Greek 'alytos' - "united" or "undivided" and 'gyne' - " woman" or "female", and is said to be a reference to the unbranched style. The specific epithet given this plant by the Austrian botanist Stephan Endlicher honors Charles von Hügel, the Baron von Huegel (1795-1870) an Austrian army officer, diplomat, botanist and explorer who botanized Western Australia, Tasmania and New South Wales from 1833 to 1834 and returned to Vienna with a collection of plants later to be described by Endlicher. We first noted this plant, with its compact growth form and exceptionally large white flowers that were flushed a violet color, growing at Seaside Gardens in Carpinteria and our cuttings originated from there.
The information about Alyogyne huegelii 'White Swan' displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant. |
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