Alyogyne: hard to pronounce, easy to love

In my recent end-of-April recap, there’s one plant I didn’t mention because I wanted it to have a solo post. That’s Alyogyne ‘Ruth Bancroft’, and it’s nearing peak bloom:

Alyogyne ‘Ruth Bancroft’ in our garden, flanked on the left by Yucca rostrata ‘Sapphire Skies’ and Agave ovatifolia, and on the right by Eucalyptus macrocarpa

Alyogyne, pronounced “alley-AWE-gin-nee”, is a small genus of Australian shrubs closely related to hibiscus. Only two species are commonly grown, Alyogyne hakeifolia from South Australia and Alyogyne huegelii from Western Australia. Both are commonly known as blue hibiscus.

The stunning shrub in our garden is a hybrid between these two species. It was discovered at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, CA in a spot where both parents were growing near each other. Since both parents are from areas of Australia that have a Mediterranean climate similar to ours, Alyogyne ‘Ruth Bancroft’ is well adapted to our wet winters and dry summers. It’s hardy to 25°F.

I think Alyogyne ‘Ruth Bancroft’ is a prettier plant than either parent, but since it’s propagated by cuttings, its availability has always been fairly limited. San Marcos Growers in Santa Barbara is growing it, but it’s wholesale only. Fortunately, Troy McGregor’s Waltzing Matilija Nursery is now selling it online so there’s your chance to nab one for your own garden. Troy has fantastic plants; I’m not saying that because he’s a friend, but because it’s true. My Alyogyne ‘Ruth Bancroft’ originally came from him, and look what it’s become:

Alyogyne ‘Ruth Bancroft’ with Agave ovatifolia...

...and Yucca rostrata ‘Sapphire Skies’

The foliage is attractive in its own right, but the flowers, they’re something else. Delicate, diaphanous, ethereal:

Each flower only lasts for a day or two, but there are so many of them, it doesn’t matter. The heaviest flush is in spring, i.e. right now, with sporadic blooms into fall. I usually do some selective pruning after that first wave of flowers to prevent the shrub from becoming too lanky and too tall. I like to keep it at a height of about 6 ft. and a width of about 4 ft.

Here are some photos of the parents of Alyogyne ‘Ruth Bancroft’:

Parent #1, Alyogyne huegelii has bluish-purple flowers...

...and palmate leaves that are slightly fuzzy:

Alyogyne huegelli is quite common in the California nursery trade. It’s sold at The Home Depot under the Smart Planet label (a brand owned by Altman Plants).

Parent #2, Alyogyne hakeifolia has needle-like leaves that give it a see-through effect. The flowers are typically purple; a yellow form is also grown. Alyogyne hakeifolia isn’t widely available in California. I have no idea why, because it’s a wonderful shrub.

I’ve gone hot and cold on quite a few plants in our garden, but Alyogyne ‘Ruth Bancroft’ has remained a favorite.

Out of curiosity, I dug through my blog to find out when I planted our Alyogyne ‘Ruth Bancroft’. It was in May 2019, i.e. exactly five years ago. This is what it looked like then (#1 in the photo below):

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