Hollyhock
Alcea rosea
Family Malvaceae
No flower says cottage garden faster than a hollyhock — saucer blooms stacked up spires that can reach eight feet, leaning on a fence the way they have in dooryards for centuries. Bees climb into the flowers, hummingbirds patrol the column, and the blooms themselves are edible.
It's a biennial that behaves like a permanent resident, self-sowing so reliably along a wall or fence line that one planting becomes a tradition. Painted lady caterpillars use the leaves; the vertical line flatters everything planted below. Start a colony by the sunniest fence you own.
Full Sun
Moderate water
Fast growth
Attracts hummingbirds
Attracts butterflies
Attracts bees
From the print shop
Growing hollyhock? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries hollyhock — Alcea rosea, print Nº 233, “Hollyhock.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what hollyhock actually needs.
Life cycleBiennial, grown as an annualHollyhock · Common problems
Common hollyhock problems
Pests
4 problems on file
- Japanese Beetles
- Hollyhock Weevil
- Sawflies
- Rose Chafer
Diseases
1 problem on file
- RUST (orange pustules — the hollyhock plague; site for airflow, remove affected leaves)
Hollyhock · Growing & propagation
Growing hollyhock
- Light
- Full Sun
- Water
- Moderate
Soil- Rich, well-drained · pH 6.0 - 8.0
Fertilizer- Light spring feed
Pruning- Cut spent stalks; leave some to self-sow
The quintessential cottage-garden spire — towering stalks of saucer-shaped blooms against a fence or wall, feeding bees, hummingbirds, and painted lady caterpillars. Technically a short-lived biennial or perennial, but it self-sows so faithfully it's effectively permanent. Rust is its one flaw — plant where air moves and remove spotted lower leaves.
Spacing- 18-24 in
Hollyhock · Seasonal care & spray guidance
The hollyhock growing playbook
When to spray hollyhock
Growing season. Remove rust-spotted leaves; choose rust-tolerant strains.
Hollyhock · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Hollyhock · Yearly calendar
The hollyhock year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
BloomBloomJune to August
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Hollyhock · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Alcea rosea
Hollyhock in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer biennial
- Nectary/insectary
- Hosts Painted lady & common checkered-skipper
- Attracts
- Hummingbirds, Butterflies, Bees
- Moisture
- Facultative / average
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
Origin- Introduced
What hollyhock is grown for
✓ Commonly eatenedible flowers
Use- Cottage spires
- Use
- Pollinators
- Use
- Butterfly host
- Use
- Edible flowers
Harvesting & storing hollyhock
Edible flowers (garnish); reseeds.
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Hollyhock · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a hollyhock variety
'Nigra' (near-black); 'Chater's Double'; 'Halo' series; rust-tolerant 'Las Vegas'
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
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Hollyhock
Alcea rosea
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Alcea rosea
- Plant family
- Malvaceae
- Growth habit
- Biennial
- Origin
- Introduced
- USDA plant symbol
- ALRO3
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
Questions
Hollyhock questions, answered straight.
Is hollyhock safe for kids and pets?
Hollyhock is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. One caveat on this one: edible flowers. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
When do you harvest hollyhock?
Edible flowers (garnish); reseeds.
Elsewhere
Where hollyhock sits in the library.
Sunflower
Zinnia
Peony
Daylily