Herb. No. 250 · Malvaceae
Old World mallow of cottage walls; naturalized along fences.
Native · West Asia
Hollyhock
Alcea rosea
Garden flowersFlowersHarvestCompanionsLookalikes
The tall spire against a wall — a biennial or short-lived perennial that makes a cottage look settled in one season of waiting.
Hollyhock is the vertical line of old kitchen gardens, usually a biennial: leaf the first year, a tower the second. Flowers run from pale to near-black. Rust (Puccinia) is the disease of record; space them, water the soil, pick off bad leaves, and do not save that battle for a prize bloom. Traditional mucilaginous teas exist in the mallow family; this plate is the wall plant, with a note that unsprayed petals have been used as a mild tea. Do not graze a rusty, sprayed spire.
Flavor
Mild mallow, if you use a clean petal. Not a reason to grow it.
Parts used
Flower (decorative; occasional unsprayed tea)
Helpful
- Instant age on a new wall
- Self-sows in a kind gravel
- Bees work the column
Cautions
- Rust
- A biennial wait
- Needs a stake in wind