Hollyhock Alcea rosea

LATIN NAME: Alcea rosea

COMMON NAME: Hollyhock

The hollyhock raises its tall, unbranched spikes of the wide, saucer-shaped flowers, and the large, round, softly hairy leaves fill the base of the plant. The tall, upright, short-lived perennial or biennial plant carries the large, rounded, lobed, softly hairy, green leaves and the tall, unbranched spikes of the wide, saucer-shaped, single or double, pink, red, purple, yellow or white flowers through the summer, one of the fine, bold sights of the old cottage garden, drawing the bees. The plant is a fine, historic presence of the cottage garden, and it is a plant of the open, sunny, deep, well-drained ground.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The hollyhock is a historic subject of the plant science, and the tall spikes keep showing up in the work on the old-garden perennials. The way the tall, unbranched spikes of the wide, saucer-shaped, single or double flowers form along the stem has been examined closely, and it keeps appearing in the studies of the old-garden perennials, the cottage-garden flowers and the members of the mallow family. The large, rounded leaves and the upright habit have also made it a fine study plant, and the hollyhock is a regular subject of the work on the tall spikes of the warm world.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

The hollyhock is a fine, bold plant of the cottage garden and the wall. The tall, unbranched spikes of the wide, saucer-shaped, single or double, pink, red, purple, yellow or white flowers open through the summer, one of the fine, bold sights of the cottage garden, drawing the bees, and the tall stems lean against the walls and the fences of the old gardens with the ease. It is one of the fine choices for the cottage garden, the back of the border and the study collection, and it has been written up in the horticultural and the botanical papers for the tall spikes and the old-fashioned ways. It is a fine, bold plant of the open, sunny, deep, well-drained garden.

Give the young plants the deep, well-drained bed, and the tall spikes will rise in the first summer.

To grow the hollyhock from seed, sow the flat, brown seeds a centimetre down in the pot of fine, loamy soil, keep the pot in a bright, open spot and water gently, then set the young plants out in the open ground. The seedlings are up within a week or two and grow on steadily. With the sun and the deep, well-drained ground, the tall spikes will rise through the summer.

Uses: Medicinal/Industrial
Alcea rosea is a hardy perennial, and once established should flower for many years. It will grow in a wide range of soils, and can easily reach a height of about 8 ft.

The tall blooming spires of the hollyhock have graced cottage gardens since its introduction in the 16th century. A biennial or short-lived perennial, it grows to a height of 1.2-2.5m (4-8ft), and bears oversized round leaves and large flowers of white, pink, purple, red or yellow arranged in spikes. Hollyhock requires little more than well-drained soil and full sun, blending well with any colour scheme to create a visually arresting display. Its height makes it an effective screen plant to hide compost heaps or fences. It attracts bees, hummingbirds and butterflies, is hardy almost everywhere and self-seeds, tenaciously returning year after year. Historically used as a dye plant, fresh red blooms can be used to create red or pink dyes, with good fastness. Flowers and young leaves can be added to salads. As a gargle, the dried flower tea helps soothe oral inflammations. An absolute must-have plant for traditional, historic or cottage garden themes.