I went to look at a garden yesterday which was hot and dry, it had lots of hard surfaces that were heating up with the western sun, that got me thinking about this plant Alyogyne hakeifolia ‘Melissa Anne’ or native hibiscus. There are many Alyogyne mainly coming from WA and south Australia and this one is no different in that regard. I saw this specimen growing in Cranbourne Botanic Gardens so you can bet that it doesn’t like humidity much.

This plant likes a sandy well drained soil in full sun, it will handle a little shade and grow well in a container. I have seen them growing in gardens here on the NSW east coast, usually in coastal suburbs where the soil was probably once a sand dune. They flower in the summer which is wonderful as summer can often be a bit of a dull time in the garden especially if it is very hot.

Growing them on a slope would also help as would mounding the soil with a sandy loam. Above you can see the yellow form which goes by the name ‘Elle Maree’. Both grow to 2 metres high and about the same wide, they would make a stunning hedge. However you need to protect them from strong winds.