Has anyone tried growing this outside in the UK? It'll be the first winter for mine and wondering whether I can get away with just mulching it or whether it's going to require more serious protection? Will do some cuttings anyway! TIA
Alyogyne huegelii 'Santa Cruz' HIBISCUS lilac hibiscus 'Santa Cruz' © RHS Other common nameslilac hibiscus 'Santa Cruz' FamilyMalvaceae GenusAlyogyne are evergreen shrubs with simple or palmately lobed leaves and solitary, hibiscus-like flowers in the leaf axils Details'Santa Cruz' is a fast-growing, evergreen shrub starting upright and spreading with age. The leaves are hairy, with five lobes and around 5cm long. Funnel-shaped, mauve-purple flowers 10cm across are produced singly from the leaf axils of young shoots from late spring to autumnCharacteristicsFoliageEvergreen HabitBushy Hardiness H2Colour Colour in Autumn foliage flower Colour in Spring foliage flower Colour in Summer foliage flower Colour in Winter foliage Sunlight Full SunAspectSouth-facing or West-facing or East-facing ExposureShelteredSoil Sand Chalk LoamMoistureWell-drained SoilSand, Chalk, Loam pHAcid, Alkaline, NeutralSizeUltimate height1.5-2.5 metres Ultimate spread1.5-2.5 metres Time to ultimate height2-5 yearsHow to grow CultivationUnder glass grow in free-draining compost in full light; plants can stand out in the summer. Outdoors grow in any well-drained soil in full sun, provided temperatures do not fall below freezing PropagationRoot semi-ripe cuttings in late summer Suggested planting locations and garden typesWall-side Borders Drought Resistant Patio & Container Plants Mediterranean Climate Plants City & Courtyard Gardens How to care PruningPruning group 9 PestsAphids, glasshouse red spider mite and glasshouse whitefly may be a problem DiseasesGenerally trouble free
It's frost tender so I think it would need protection but I don't know whether mulch would be enough, depends on your winter minimum temperatures.
Thanks ARMANDII I bet it's the same advice for Acacia, Solanum rantonettii and Hibiscus moscheutus, but they all survive here outside (At least, up until now ). Thanks for the lifebelt @"M" I'll let you know when it starts raining. We've only had 2" over the last five months
Therein lies the rub, strongy! We just never know! If it ever dips to -17C again, there are going to be an awful lot of gaps in the borders
When I first attempted to pronounce the plant name ... it sounded as if I was under water! Good grief!! How on earth have you managed?
@noisette I would just love one of those Lilac Hibiscus to go with my collection. Never seen one ever.. We recently had our first in six months and boy did the ground love it. It freshened everything.
My A.huegelii stays outside from Spring until Autumn ; sunny open aspect in free-draining soil . Grown like mad this year , (1.5m in one season) , but will still lift (carefully) and overwinter in an unheated greenhouse . Keeps the wind off it !
Got the use of an agricultural reservoir that's fed by a spring. It never dries out, although the fact that a heron is standing ankle deep in it at the mo tells me that it must be getting dangerously low!
Hi Victoria, I did a load of cuttings today, so if they take, I'll send you some It's raining here now but 8mm isn't going to cut the mustard!
Ah thanks for that, @PaulB3. Interesting tip about them not liking wind. I think I'll leave the parent plant in the ground as an experiment, but with a few cuttings in hand in case things get nasty in January
@noisette47 How very sweet of you. xx I shall keep my fingers and toes crossed and if you have success, please contact me for my address.
