Alyogyne huegelii
Blue hibiscus
(c) Elaine Fieth, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Elaine Fieth · licence
Family: Malvaceae · Type: Shrub · Not Native
Alyogyne huegelii (Blue hibiscus) is a non-native California shrub in the Malvaceae family, recognized by Australian genus represented by this single naturalized species, distinguished from other Malvaceae by lacking an involucre of bracts….
Blue hibiscus is a naturalized shrub found in southern coastal California in disturbed, generally urban places at elevations especially below 400 meters. Flowering from June to January, this plant produces large lilac-blue flowers 7 to 10 centimeters in diameter. Growing as an evergreen shrub to 2 meters tall, it develops with stems that are distinctively stellate-hairy, especially when young. Its leaves have blades 2 to 7 centimeters long with irregularly toothed and lobed edges. The fruit is an ovoid capsule approximately 2 centimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Australian genus represented by this single naturalized species, distinguished from other Malvaceae by lacking an involucre of bracts below the calyx
Habitat and range
Habitat: Scarce. Disturbed, generally urban places
Elevation: especially < 400 m
Outside California: native to Australia
Bloom period
Alyogyne huegelii blooms Jun-Jan.
How to tell it apart
vs Hibiscus: Alyogyne lacks the ring of narrow epicalyx bracts beneath the calyx and has an undivided style with a club-like stigma; Hibiscus has a distinct epicalyx and 5 spreading style branches.; vs Lavatera: Alyogyne's flower has no fused cup of bractlets below the calyx; Lavatera shows 3 fused bractlets forming an epicalyx beneath each flower.; vs Anisodontea: Alyogyne flowers are very large (7--10 cm) and lilac-blue on a 2 m evergreen shrub; Anisodontea flowers are small (~1 cm), pale pink with dark-veined bases.; vs Malva: Alyogyne is a tall woody evergreen shrub with big lilac-blue flowers; Malva is a weedy herb or soft subshrub with small pink to white flowers and 3 bractlets below the calyx.; vs Alcea: Alyogyne is a branched evergreen shrub with solitary lilac-blue flowers; Alcea (hollyhock) is a tall, nearly unbranched biennial with flowers crowded in a long terminal spike.
Frequently asked questions
Is Alyogyne huegelii native to California?
No. Alyogyne huegelii is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Alyogyne huegelii bloom?
Alyogyne huegelii blooms Jun-Jan.
What plant family does Alyogyne huegelii belong to?
Alyogyne huegelii is in the Malvaceae family, genus Alyogyne.
What habitat does Alyogyne huegelii grow in?
Alyogyne huegelii grows in Scarce. Disturbed, generally urban places.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.