Black Hollyhock Alcea rosea nigra
LATIN NAME: ALCEA ROSEA
COMMON NAME: Hollyhock, Black Hollyhock
The black hollyhock is one of the most dramatic of the old cottage flowers, and its tall spires of the near-black, single blooms have made it a favourite of the gardens of the world. It grows as a tall, upright, short-lived perennial or a biennial of the mallow family, reaching up to two metres or more, with a strong, upright, hairy stem bearing large, rounded, lobed, heart-shaped, green leaves and, in the summer, tall, upright spires of many large, single, five-petalled, deep-maroon to near-black flowers with the pale centre, followed by the flat, round, cheese-like seed heads of the many small, brown seeds. It is a form of the flowering herb, native to the gardens of the world from the old stocks of the East, while it is grown for its dramatic, dark spires, and it is known as the black hollyhock.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The black hollyhock has a real and distinguished place in research. It has been studied in the horticulture and the history of the garden, since the hollyhock is one of the oldest and most beloved of the cottage flowers, and the researchers and the historians have examined its long cultivation, its many forms and its place in the gardens of the world, while the tall, dramatic spires of the near-black flowers have drawn attention in the international horticultural press, and the breeding of the hollyhocks has been of continuing interest across the centuries. The plant has also been studied in botany and ecology, since the hollyhock is a member of the mallow family, and its relationships and its many forms have been examined, while the ecology of the tall, cottage herbs has been of continuing interest, and the flat, round, cheese-like seed heads of the hollyhock have been of interest to the botanists. The species has also been studied in the value of the flowers to the wildlife, since the hollyhock is a magnet for the bees and the butterflies, and the researchers have examined its value in the garden, while the tall, upright spires of the dark flowers have made it a fine friend of the cottage garden and the back of the border. For a plant of such dramatic value, the black hollyhock has a rich and distinguished record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
To grow the Black Hollyhock from seed, ecologically, the black hollyhock is a generous plant of the garden. Its tall, upright spires of the large, near-black flowers feed the bees and the butterflies of the summer, and its flat, round seed heads and their small, brown seeds feed the birds, while its tall, leafy growth gives a fine cover and a shelter to the small creatures. Its economic value is real: the black hollyhock is prized for its dramatic, dark spires and its long history in the cottage garden, and its value has drawn attention in the international horticultural press, while its tall, stately bloom has made it a favourite of the gardens of the world. To raise the black hollyhock, sow the seeds into pots of moist, free-draining compost in a sunny spot, keep them lightly watered, and grow the little plants on in the light.
sow the seeds into pots of moist, free-draining compost in a sunny spot, keep the young hollyhocks lightly watered, and grow the little plants on in the light.
LATIN NAME: Alcea rosea
COMMON NAME: Common Hollyhock, Black Hollyhock
The common hollyhock is a tall and stately flower of the cottage gardens, and its towering spikes of the large, showy, saucer-shaped bloom have made it one of the most loved and most characteristic of the flowers of the old gardens. It grows as an ornamental, flowering plant of the mallow family, reaching up to two and a half metres, with the tall, upright stems bearing the large, rounded, lobed, green leaves and, through the summer, the many large, showy, saucer-shaped flowers, in the shades of the pink, the red, the white, the yellow and the nearly black, borne along the whole length of the tall stems, followed by the many flat, disc-like seeds. It is an ornamental, flowering plant in the mallow family, while it was imported into the Europe from the southwestern China during, or possibly before, the fifteenth century, and it is known as the common hollyhock.
The common hollyhock belongs to the mallow family, Malvaceae, and it is an ornamental, flowering plant. It was imported into the Europe from the southwestern China during, or possibly before, the fifteenth century, while it is known as the common hollyhock, and it is prized for its tall spikes of the large, showy bloom.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The common hollyhock has a genuine and distinguished place in both horticultural and botanical research. It has been studied in the horticulture, since it is one of the most loved and most characteristic of the flowers of the old gardens, prized for its tall spikes of the large, showy bloom, and researchers have examined its cultivation, its growth and its value in the border and the cottage garden, while its towering spikes of the large, showy flowers have drawn attention in the international gardening press as a stately flower of the old gardens, and it has been a beloved flower of the cottage and the country gardens for a very long time. The plant has also been studied in the botany and the history, since it is an ornamental plant that was imported into the Europe from the southwestern China during, or possibly before, the fifteenth century, and researchers have examined its classification, its many varieties and its long history in the gardens, while the long journey of the hollyhock from the China to the gardens of the Europe has drawn attention in the international botanical and cultural press. The species has also been studied in the chemistry of the natural products, since the flowers and the other parts contain a range of the compounds, and researchers have examined the plant and its many constituents, while the deep, almost black colour of the bloom of the black hollyhock has been of continuing interest to the botanists and the gardeners. For a flower of such stateliness, the common hollyhock has a rich and distinguished record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the common hollyhock is a generous flower of the cottage garden. Its large, showy, saucer-shaped bloom feeds the bees, the butterflies and the pollinators, and its tall, leafy stems give shelter to the small animals, while it is a beloved presence in the cottage, the country and the old gardens of the world.
Its economic value is real. The common hollyhock is one of the most loved and most characteristic of the flowers of the old gardens, prized for its tall spikes of the large, showy bloom, and its beauty has drawn attention in the international gardening press as a stately flower of the old gardens, while it is also valued in the seed trade and the garden. For a grower, the common hollyhock is an easy and generous plant, and for a gardener it brings towering spikes of the large, showy bloom through the summer. The seeds are quick and easy — sow them on the surface of moist, free-draining soil in a sunny spot, press them in lightly, keep them gently watered, and theyll be sprouting within a week or two, growing on into a tall, stately, bloom-spiked plant.
Uses: Medicinal/Beverage
Its silky black-purple flowers set this plant apart: Beautiful wine-stained black blooms with paler star-shaped centers appear on towering spikes that can become 2.5m (8ft) tall. Lends a high-drama effect to any mixed sunny border. Said to have been grown by Thomas Jefferson in his garden at Monticello. A low-care plant, it is hardy across a wide range of zones, and self-seeds to come back year after year. An excellent choice for xeriscaping, it prefers full sun and well-drained soil. A good choice for hummingbird, bee and butterfly gardens. Young leaves and flowers are edible, and can be added to salads for colour and interest. The blooms give a lovely, deep rose-purple colour to herbal teas. Like other members of the mallow family, it helps soothe irritated mucous membranes.