Alyogyne hakeifolia Melissa Anne

Alyogyne hakeifolia 'Melissa Anne' is a lovely variety of Australian blue hibiscus with very bright pink flowers adorned with a red heart. It is a fast-growing and vigorous plant that offers very long and abundant spring and summer flowering. Forming a beautiful dense and bushy shrub with leafy foliage, this descendant of the Alyogyne with the leaves of a hakea is recognised by its feathery foliage of very dark green. Native to dry coastal regions of Australia, it is a drought-tolerant plant but not very hardy, and sensitive to humidity. Gardeners in more continental climates might grow this beautiful exotic plant in a pot on the terrace or balcony, to be taken inside in winter.

Alyogyne hakeifolia 'Melissa Anne' belongs to the Malvaceae family, like hibiscus, shrubby lavateras, and mallows. Its wild ancestor is common throughout the southwest of Western Australia. It can be found growing on the coast, in sandy or stony clay-loam soils, including those containing limestone. Fairly accommodating, this blue hibiscus requires very well-draining soil where water does not stagnate, both in winter and summer. It can withstand short frosts of around -5°C (23 °F) if the soil it is planted in is dry in winter. In slightly wetter soil, it will perish from -1°C (30.2 °F). Its growth habit is shrubby and its foliage will be more or less persistent depending on the severity of the winter. In nature, Alyogyne hakeifolia can reach 3 metres (10 ft) in all directions.

'Melissa Anne' is a superb cultivar that stands out for its bright pink flowers and abundant production. With rapid growth, this well-branched shrub, with a rounded habit, reaches about 1.50 m (5 ft) to 1.80 m (6 ft) in height in just a few months, with an almost equivalent spread when planted in open ground. In a pot, it will grow to slightly smaller dimensions, around 1 m (3 ft 4 in) to 1.20 m (4 ft) in all directions. Flowering takes place from May-June to September at the axils of the leaves. Each flower, about 8-10 cm (3 to 4 in) wide, is composed of 5 silky petals in a light pink colour, slightly overlapping, arranged in cups that never fully open. The centre of the corolla, red in colour, contains numerous short stamens with yellow anthers, surrounding 5 that are longer and fused. As with all plants in the Malvaceae family, the flowers do not last more than a day or two, but are produced continuously for nearly 4 months. The flowers, pollinated by insects, give way to fruits in 5-lobed capsules containing seeds. The abundant foliage is composed of pinnate leaves divided into fine linear segments measuring up to 10 cm (4 in) long. To maintain a compact habit, we recommend pruning it in March and also lightly during the flowering season. This Alyogyne is a short-lived plant, lasting around 8 years. Its root system is extensive: avoid planting it less than 3.50 m (12 ft) away from a duct or sewer.

Alyogyne Melissa Anne is a plant for a mild and dry climate that should thrive in warm coastal gardens. It is essential to plant it in a site sheltered from cold winds, on a slightly arid slope, in a large rock garden or in a raised bed enriched with gravel, and to protect its base from winter moisture with a thick mulch. These conditions also suit cistus, Westringia, Sphaeralcea (ambigua, Childerley), Leucophyllum, and other large lavenders (Lavandula x allardii, L. x Devantville), with which this blue hibiscus will create superb combinations. Cultivating it in a large pot presents no difficulties and allows the plant to be sheltered in winter in a bright, unheated space, with a significant reduction in watering.