I got a new hibiscus from San Diego. This is an Australian Blue Hibiscus (Alyogyne huegelii)
(August 10th)
Last year I bought a "Snow Queen" Hibiscus from a local college plant sale. It did better than all my other hibiscus inside the house and has grown to MASSIVE proportions this year. The branches hang downward and the leaves get whiter and whiter the more it's exposed to sun. It's definitely not your ordinary hibiscus and that adds to the charm.
August 11
I brought back three cuttings from my visit to Hawaii in April and one of them is flowering. JL Hawaiian Rose & JL Juicy Juice are still working on building strong roots, but my Jim Little Metallica Plumeria is well on its way! I already needed to repot it and it has a very healthy inflorescence!
August 6
August 8
August 10
August 11
August 15
August 6
One of my favorite cold hardy hibiscus is also my tallest! It's called Hibiscus"Raspberry Rose" and gets surprisingly HUGE. It's is a dieback perennial (unlike the non-native Rose of Sharon which has a tree form), but seems to get more than 6 feet tall with ease!
The flowers have really unusual divided petals that give it a different look than most hibiscus. Apparently it's a cross between the Texas Star Hibiscus (Hibiscus coccineus) and something else, but your guess is as good as mine. It has MUCH larger leaves than a hibiscus coccineus, but the flowers do have a similar shape.
The blooms start in August and keep on going until Frost so it's definitely a later bloomer, but worth it!
Here's a timeline:
Aug 8
Aug 10
August 13
I traveled to San Diego and stuffed a few fun and unusual plants in my suitcase to bring home!
From left to right:
Agave Ovatifolia, Plumeria Pink Jenny, Blue Australian Hibiscus (Alyogyne huegelii), Chamaedorea glaucifolia, Butia paraguayensis (Dwarf yatay palm), Hybrid Cycad (Cycas revoluta x debaoensis), Sabal rosei, Arenga engleri, Cycas debaoensis, Butia × Jubaea
We are midway through summer. Here's a snapshot at how everything is looking at my parents garden this week!
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