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' Mars Magic ' althea . Photo by : Proven victor
A classic bungalow garden basic , hollyhock ( Alcea rosea ) bloom mid - summer with numerous flowers on marvelous spikes . Many of the most common varieties are biennials , meaning they make out their lifecycle over 2 years . The first year is spent growing foliage and lay in energy . In the second year , the stalks shoot up , flowers bloom and seed form . However , there are also many form that behave like short - live perennials and will blossom in their first twelvemonth when planted early enough in spring or started indoors in wintertime .
Other than staking and cut the stalks back after florescence , hollyhocks really do n’t need much upkeep , but they do ask to be protect from insects and fungal diseases such as rust . Hollyhocks support the lifecycle of painted lady butterflies as a host plant for their caterpillars and also attract other pollinators such as bee and hummingbirds . If you ’ve got a bungalow garden , it ’s just not complete without a few hollyhocks gracing the edges .
On this Thomas Nelson Page : Basics|Planting|Care|Common job & Solutions|Varieties|FAQs|Gardening with Hollyhocks
On this varlet :
HOLLYHOCK BASICS
Zones:
3 - 9
Height/Spread:
6 - 8 feet tall , 1 - 2 feet wide
Exposure:
Full sunshine to part shade
Bloom time:
June - August
Color and characteristics:
The undivided or double , cup - shaped flowers have little or no stalk and blossom on marvelous spike . Hollyhocks come in a wide mixture of colour : gloomy , pink , purple , ruddy , white-hot , yellow , and even black . The improbable spike are cover with blooms from top to bottom . althaea leaves are bombastic , rough-cut , and palmate in shape .
“ It ’s easy to overlook hollyhock as pollinator plant , but they have lots of nectar and pollen , attracting bumble bees , hummingbird , and butterflies . As for colour , bumble bee seem to favor white or pink petal , while hummingbirds favor deep Red River and purples . ”
— Master beekeeper Rusty Burlew , Honey Bee Suite
picture by : Anna50 / Shutterstock
HOW TO PLANT HOLLYHOCKS
How and when to plant hollyhock seeds:
althaea can be originate from seed indoors or out . seed can be sown straight outdoors about a week before last frost . Sow at just ¼ inch deep and about 2 feet asunder . Hollyhocks have long taproots , so if cum are started indoors , use tall , individual pot and organ transplant ahead of time to debar legal injury . Start indoor seeds about 9 hebdomad before the last average frost appointment . seedling can be placed outside two to three weeks after the last Robert Lee Frost . Also , stand in mind that some are biennial and may not bloom until their second yr .
Where to plant:
Plant in a well - draining area with full Dominicus to fond shade . Due to their superlative , protect from damaging winds and allow bread and butter such as a fence , wall , treillage or stake . Hollyhocks will pronto ego - source if left to their own devices , so locate them in an country where this wo n’t be a nuisance . Also , hollyhocks are one of very few plants that can be planted in propinquity to fateful walnut trees because they are tolerant of the chemic juglone that is leached into the dirt by the tree .
“ Hollyhocks can be tricky to start from cum . They are best to sow and forget , sometimes take up to a year to sprout . But once you ’ve get them , you ’ll have them forever because they gently ego - seed in seat you least expect . ”
— Professional blossom farmer , Erin Benzakein ofFloret Flower Farm . Take a walk of life through Erin ’s " hollyhock jungle . "
pic by : Addington Photographics / Shutterstock
HOLLYHOCK CARE
Pruning:
single hollyhock flowers can be polish off when they languish and entire stalks can be hack back to the fundament after flowering . This will forbid seed head from forming and reseeding . Although , if you ’d like to have source coiffe for next spring , go away the flush and a few still hunt until the cum have dropped . They ’ll die back in winter and all stem and leave should be cut back to the solid ground to prevent rusting disease from overwintering .
Soil:
Provide robust , moist , well - debilitate soil for hollyhocks .
Amendments and fertilizer:
hollyhock can gain from a light program program of fertilizer or compost in the spring .
Watering:
put up regular water and keep filth moist for starting hollyhocks . However , once well establish , they are middling drought kind . body of water from below and forefend wet the foliage , as this can head to pathologic leaf .
Propagation:
Hollyhocks are best , and easiest , grow from cum and they will readily self - seed if bloom stalks are left in stead .
Over-wintering:
In area that get severe freeze , hollyhocks can be grow as annuals , set off seeds in containers and over - wintering indoors . Water sparingly over the winter and gradually reintroduce them out of doors when the weather begins to warm up .
In other areas where they can be left out of doors , prune them back to about 6 inch above terra firma level in the descent . Cover with 4 to 6 inches of straw or mulch over the etymon zone and foundation of the flora . In spring , gradually take away in layer to slowly acclimate the roots . Once new growth is emerging , dispatch all the straw or mulch . Re - cover in face of a spring freeze .
“ Once they ’re established , althea are pretty drought - tolerant , so they are unadulterated plants to grow here in North Texas ( zone 8A ) where we get dry and spicy summer . Even in our hot mood , hollyhock farm well when planted in full sun . ”
— Dina Mills , Mills Family Gardening
The underside of a hollyhock leaf with rust . Photo by : Kazakov Maksim / Shutterstock
COMMON HOLLYHOCK PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS
Hollyhock rust ( icteric spot and raise , rust - colored bumps on the leaves):The most mutual disease affect hollyhocks . It seem as yellow spot on leaf , then develops into brown or rust fungus - colour gibbousness on underside of the leaves . Preventing rusting is much easier than sample to tone down an eruption . lachrymation at the base , good gentle wind circulation , and thorough recent fall cleanup will go a farseeing elbow room in stop rust from forming . Any leaves that show signs of rust should be removed from the plant and dispose of to prevent further spread . TheRoyal Horticultural Societyrecommends replace industrial plant annually in areas where rust persists . Planting rust - resistant varieties , likeAlcea rugosa , can also facilitate .
Powdery mildew : This fungal disease looks like a white , powdery program on the leaves . As with rust fungus , preventive measures include ensuring good airflow , provide fair to middling sunlight , and avoiding overhead tearing .
Hollyhocks not blooming : Not enough sunlight ( hollyhocks want at least six hour of direct sunlight daily to boom ) . If your works is a first - twelvemonth biennial , it may need another year to acquire blooms .
Leaves turn yellow : Too much water can suffocate the roots , leading to yellow-bellied leaves . Ensure well - drain soil and water deeply but infrequently .
Hollyhocks falling over : Strong winds and heavy rain can knock over tall hollyhocks . To supply support , secure them to a trellis or bamboo stake using garden twine .
Pest problems : Slugs and snail , spider mites , andJapanese beetlescan be problematic as well .
HOLLYHOCK VARIETIES
Photo by : Proven Winners
Alcea rosea‘Blacknight’—Buy now from Proven Winners
Zones:3 - 9
acme / Spread:5 to 6 fundament marvellous , 1 to 2 fundament wide
picture : Full sun
Bloom time : Mid - summertime
Color : Purple - blackness
The darkest of the Spotlight serial , this almost black hollyhock is a standout in the garden . This variety behave more like a short - lived repeated than a biennial .
Alcea rosea‘Mars Magic’—Buy now from Proven Winners
Height / Spread:5 to 6 foot tall , 2 feet wide
Bloom Time : Mid - summer
Color : Shades of red
Another cultivar from the Spotlight serial that offers single red prime .
Photo by : Garden World Images Ltd. / Alamy Stock Photo .
Alcea rosea‘Queeny Purple ’
Zones:3 - 8
Height / Spread:2 to 3 feet tall and across-the-board
Bloom Time : Mid to recent summer
coloration : Deep purple
One of the shortest varieties , its 3- to 4 - inch , frilly - butt against flowers blossom with time of year - long color . Its compact size makes it sodding for small garden and container . Will flower the first class if planted in February .
Alcea rosea‘Chater ’s Double ’
tiptop / Spread:5 to 7 metrical foot tall , 1 to 2 feet wide
Color : uncommitted in a variety of colours : chicken , pink , purple , red , white and salmon ( demonstrate ) .
These tend to be true biennials , blooming in their second year with downy threefold althaea flowers .
Photo by : Gardeningpix / Alamy Stock Photo .
Alcea roseaIndian Spring Mix
Zones:3 - 7
peak / Spread:5 to 8 infantry improbable , 12 to 18 inches full
Bloom Time : Early to mid - summer
Color : A mix in various shade of pinkish and white-hot .
Old - fashioned althaea with unmarried or semi - double flowers will flower the first yr if planted early in spring . Cut back after flowering and you may get a 2nd round in the downslope .
Photo by : aaor2550 / Shutterstock .
genus Alcea roseaMajorette Mix
Zones:5 - 8
pinnacle / Spread:2 ft magniloquent and wide
Color : A mix of colors ( shade of pink , icteric , orangish , red and white )
This dwarf variety has a bushy habit and fringed , semi - double flowers . splendid for front or center of delimitation or in containers . This diverseness will also blossom the first year if plant early enough .
Photo by : Walters Gardens , Inc.
genus Alcea rosea‘Fiesta Time ’
Height / Spread:3 invertebrate foot marvellous , 18 to 24 column inch blanket
Color : carmine pink
A comparatively shorter variant with double , laciniate heyday that will bloom in the first year . Its shorter stature makes it a good choice for courtyard gardens and container .
Alcea roseaHalo Series Cerise
semblance : Bicolor , cerise pink with deep purple center
The Halo series flower with undivided , bicolor heyday with either lighter or darker centre . Others in the series are candy , blush , and lavender .
Alcea roseaHalo Series Blush
Color : snowy with fuchsia glory and yellow gist
A bright and colourful addition to a bungalow garden or border .
Photo by : ArgenLant / Shutterstock .
Alcea rugosa
Zones:4 - 8
Height / Spread:4 to 9 feet magniloquent , 1 to 2 feet wide
Bloom Time : July to August
semblance : Light yellow with darker center
An old garden deary that originated in Russia , flowers with 4 - inch blooms that attract hummingbirds and are comestible . Also proven to be more disease - resistant than other species .
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do hollyhocks bloom the first year?
Not usually . As biennials , they typically focus on foliation emergence in their first year and bloom in their 2nd . However , some varieties comport more like short - lived perennial , now and again flowering in their first year — especially if started early — and preserve to bloom for several time of year .
Are hollyhocks annuals or perennials?
althaea are typically biennial plants , meaning they complete their life oscillation in two class . Although they are biennial , they often seem to come back yr after year because they reseed so prolifically . get wind difference between yearly , perennials , and biennial .
Are hollyhocks edible?
Yes ! hollyhock are completely eatable , including the flowers , leaves , and roots . TheNorth Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolboxsuggests using the flower as a showy edible garnish or even as container for dip .
Are hollyhocks poisonous?
No . Hollyhocks are not poisonous to humans or animals . However , the stems and leaves can do skin irritation in some multitude due to small , glass - like fibre on their stems and leave . When handling hollyhocks , it ’s a good idea to fatigue gloves , especially if you have sensitive skin .
Are hollyhocks deer resistant?
Hollyhocks are rarely browse by deer . However , if intellectual nourishment is scarce , athirst deer may still nibble on them , especially new , tender ontogeny . See moredeer - immune plants and bloom .
GARDENING WITH HOLLYHOCKS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Linda Hagen is a author and content coordinator at GardenDesign.com , where she combine firsthand gardening experience with expert insights . Based in Southern California ( Zone 9B ) , she ’s passionate about vivacious , pollinator - friendly garden and believes the best lesson total from a test - and - misplay access to growing .
Anne Balogh is a longtime gardening writer and editor for Garden Design , with over 20 years of experience underwrite everything from container planting to landscape painting vogue . She draw in inspiration from her own Zone 5 garden in Illinois , where she experiments with intrepid perennial and unfolding yearly .
