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| Category: Shrub |
| Family: Malvaceae (w/Bombacaceae & Sterculeacea) |
| Origin: Australia (Australasia) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Light Lavender |
| Bloomtime: Spring/Fall |
| Parentage: (A. hakeifolia x A. huegelii?) |
| Height: 6-8 feet |
| Width: 4-6 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 25-30° F |
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Alyogyne 'Ruth Bancroft' (Ruth's Blue Hibiscus) - A fine texture upright shrub that can grow 6 to 8 feet (or possibly more) in height with an open growth habit when young and leaves that are palmately lobed with bright green deeply lobed very narrow segments. From late spring well into fall appear the 2 inch long pale lavender-blue flowers with a strong central red eye that are held upright near the branch tips. Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil and given occasional to infrequent irrigation - this plant grows well in our summer dry landscapes! Hardy to around 25 F and useful in USDA zones 9 - 10. Occasional pruning when young it will make the plant much fuller and also increase the flower production. The soft lavender-blue color of this plant's flowers stand out well against the interesting texture of its foliage. Alyogyne 'Ruth Bancroft' is a presumed hybrid between the Blue Hibiscus, Alyogyne huegelii and the Red Centered Hibiscus, Alyogyne hakeifolia as it was a spontaneous seedling hybrid that was found growing in the Ruth Bancroft Garden in a spot near where both parents were growing alongside each other. These parents are both from southern and southwestern Australia, which like California has a mediterranean climate and both have palmate leaves, radiating out like the fingers of an open hand, but while the lobes A. huegelii are slightly fuzzy and have frilly margins, those of A. hakeifolia are so narrow as to be almost needle-like. The leaves of the hybrid are between the two as they are quite narrow but softer and not as needle-thin as typical A. hakeifolia and lack the hairs of A. huegelii. We also grow another plant presumed to have the same parentage that is called Alyogyne 'Lady Barbara Rose' that has broader dissected leaves and slightly darker flowers.
This information about Alyogyne 'Ruth Bancroft' displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate 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 that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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