Anisodontea capensis El Rayo

Anisodontea capensis 'El Rayo' is a variety of flowering bush that is exceptionally floriferous and colourful, equally at home in the ground or in a large pot on the terrace; its small hibiscus-like flowers are a very bright pink, finely veined with red, opening to a purple throat, bringing life to its sparsely vegetated growth from summer to autumn, and even all year round in mild climates. This large flowering bush is hardy down to -8°/ -10°C in well-drained soil. Tireless, undemanding and radiant, it is a plant well-suited to seaside or Mediterranean gardens.

Anisodontea, like flowering mallows, belongs to the large family of Malvaceae. It is a genus native to South Africa, which includes large, woody-based, less hardy flowering bushes. Anisodontea capensis is native to the arid mountainous areas of the Cape Province, and shows good resistance to drought once established in the ground.

The cultivar 'El Rayo' is one of the best horticultural developments in recent years. Half-perennial, half-bush, this plant has a balanced, bushy and upright habit, quickly reaching a height of 1.25 metres (4ft 1in) and a spread of 90cm (35.4in). This small bush has a slightly loose but well-branched growth, offering countless small round flowers measuring 2 to 4cm (0.8 - 1.6in) in diameter, composed of five petals, a beautiful warm pink veined with red, and strongly tinged with purple at the centre. These flowers, appearing in the axils of each leaf, are ephemeral, but they continuously renew themselves from June to October, throughout the growing season, in successive waves induced by appropriate watering and under good growing conditions. The foliage, rather sparse, is evergreen or deciduous depending on the severity of the winter. It consists of highly dissected, wavy and slightly villous leaves of a beautiful dark green, soft to the touch.

Anisodontea 'El Rayo' is unquestionably a fantastic terrace and patio plant, to be stored indoors in a cool and very bright place in cold climates during winter. It thrives in full sun and shows greater longevity in well-drained soil. In regions with mild winters, it will look beautiful in a small informal hedge, or in a bed of blue-flowering bushes (Buddleia 'Lochinch', Ceanothus 'Concha') that will enhance its bright pink flowering. It also pairs well with the delicate foliage of Nandina domestica and its varieties, or with pink flowers and purple foliage (Cotinus 'Royal Purple', Pittosporum 'Tom Thumb'). Its moderate growth allows it to be planted as a standalone specimen or to mark an entrance, for example. It creates a romantic atmosphere when combined with  Perennial Salvias, or with its cousins,  Hollyhocks and  Malva sylvestris.