Wednesday, 25 July 2018

Althéa.



I have several of these plants. This particular one, above, which I believe is one of the most common, is possibly the best of the lot.


This white one with the red centre is good, it always flowers really well.


This one tends to stay 'furled', only a few open-up completely. No idea why.

                            

A few years ago, I admired a double white one in a friend's garden. She saved some seeds for me, but they always reverted to single. Later she gave me a plant, but that too turned out to be a single (above). We both gave up!

A surprisingly easy plant to grow. Some call them Hibiscus; I shall continue to call them Althéa.



28 comments:

Gwil W said...

My job is to stick them in ground and Mrs G's job is remember their names. She's the expert. But they do look nice whatever they are called. Can you make tea from them?

Susan Heather said...

Know them as hibiscus here. We have a few. Nice easy plants to grow from cuttings.

Jennifer said...

Very pretty flowers!

Anonymous said...

I particularly like the white red centred one. They grow here as hibiscus but I alway thought they favoured tropical climates.

Cro Magnon said...

Tea? No idea! The flowers are at their best at the moment. I keep finding new ones poking out from other plants.

Cro Magnon said...

Perfect for someone like me, who only does vegs!

Cro Magnon said...

They really are beautiful; very 'pure'.

Cro Magnon said...

I think you could describe our climate at the moment as 'Tropical'. Phew!

Yael said...

I have a red one in my garden, i love the flowers.

Cro Magnon said...

I'd like a red one; I've not seen one here. Maybe I should visit a garden centre.

local alien said...

They don't ring a bell but if they're easy to grow then they are for me too!

Cro Magnon said...

Just take some seeds from a neighbour, and Bob's yer Uncle!

Susan Heather said...

Stick a piece in at the end of a row of vegies and you should have a new bush.
when Max and I were renting in the early 1970's there was a huge plum tree in the garden. The owner told us her late husband had used a piece of plum as a row marker and it had grown into that tree.

Cro Magnon said...

I usually cut bits from a Hazel Nut tree, and they do the same.

Jacqueline @ HOME said...

So pretty and similar to Lavatera ...... you can’t eat them though Cro 🤣🤣😂🤣 XXXX

Carol Caldwell said...

We know them as hibiscus. We have one that was already here when we moved in eleven years ago. It is now a tree! Our is mauve with burgundy centre. Seems to do well whatever sort of summer we have.

Jane Karwat said...

We call this shrub Rose of Sharon. I have one with the pink flowers and its flowering right now. Its very hot right now.. It is common here and does survive the winter. Very hardy.

Cro Magnon said...

We have several Lavatera bushes. They flower for months. Good value plants.

Cro Magnon said...

Hibiscus is the most commonly used name, but I first encountered them as Althéa. Ours always do well, they seem to thrive on heat and drought.

Cro Magnon said...

What gardeners call 'A good doer'.

Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe said...

I have similar flowers. My larger ones are Hibiscus with branches that fan out and the smaller one is on a tighter bush (that can get quite tall) which as Jane said, is called Rose of Sharon. They are all so beautiful and best of all, take little care.

Cro Magnon said...

I trim mine back quite hard each winter; they seem to like it.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Beautiful Cro. But I doubt it would grow successfully over winter this far North.

gz said...

Istick to single flower forms...better for the bees.
Beautiful flowers

Sue said...

I know them as Hibiscus but Althéa is a prettier name.

Cro Magnon said...

I really have no idea, but I don't remember seeing them in the UK.

Cro Magnon said...

The double white one I was after was very nice, in a 'flamenco' sort of way.

Cro Magnon said...

Did I hear 'whooping and hollering' from your side of the hill? Welcome home.

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