Althaea rosea, Alcea rosea, Common Hollyhock, Althaea sinensis, or Althaea mexicana is a beautiful tall biennial or perennial that looks great against a wall or a fence. It is part of the Malvaceae family of plants. It arrived in Europe from China, in the fifteenth century. They originally called it Holyoke. It has beautiful heart-shaped leaves.
How to grow Althaea rosea:
Hollyhocks like rich soil but they do tolerate other conditions. You can grow them from seeds and they could grow to 9 ft. Hollyhocks come in single as well double flowers. Hollyhocks are susceptible to rust but there are some new varieties that are resistant to rust. They do self-seed and can be grown as annuals, it usually flowers the second year, however, if it is sown very early then it might flower the first year. Alcea rosea attracts butterflies.
Read also Hollyhock
