A tall growing old fashion plant that has had a resurgence of interest. Hollyhock are biennials.
Pronunciation
(al-SEE-a)(Ro-see-a)
Plant Type
All Plants, Biennials
Hardiness Zone
4-9
Sunlight
full
Moisture
average, avoid water on the leaves
Soil & Site
average
Flowers
borne in terminal racemes, can be double or single in a wide range of colors
Leaves
lobed, rough textured The nemesis of this plant is Hollyhock rust, a leaf disfiguring fungus. Newer varieties are reported to be more resistant.
Stems
bristly, single, unbranched
Dimensions
3'-8' tall
Maintenance
In the fall remove all dead plant parts and discard. These will carry over the rust spores. The rust is caused by Puccinia malvacearum, a fungus attacking the Malvaceae family. Staking maybe needed
Propagation
They are easily grown from seed but will take two years to flower. First year the plant will grow vegetatively and the next year flower, than die. Many times succeeding generations will come from the seeds that fall too the ground.
Native Site
Species native to China and has been grown there for perhaps 2 thousand years.
Cultivar Origin
Introduced into England in the 1600's
Misc Facts
.
Author's Notes
Hollyhock is a good indicator plant for "days gone by". It is a given if Hollyhock and or Lilac are growing in an old field there was once a house near by.
Notes & Reference
#28-Cottage Garden Annuals(Clive Lane), #51-Armitage's Manual of Annuals, Biennials, and Half-Hardy Perennials (Alan Arimitage), #109-Annuals and Tender Perennials for North American Gardens (Wayne Winterrowd)