''Alcea rosea'', the common hollyhock, is an ornamental

dicot The dicotyledons, also known as dicots (or, more rarely, dicotyls), are one of the two groups into which all the flowering plants (angiosperms) were formerly divided. The name refers to one of the typical characteristics of the group: namely, ...

flowering plant in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Malvaceae Malvaceae (), or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include Theobroma cacao, cacao, Cola (plant), cola, cotton, okra, Hibiscus sabdariffa, ...

. It was imported into Europe from southwestern China during, or possibly before, the 15th century. William Turner, a

herbalist Herbal medicine (also called herbalism, phytomedicine or phytotherapy) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. Scientific evidence for the effectiveness of many herbal treatments ...

of the time, gave it the name "holyoke" from which the English name derives.

Cultivation

''Alcea rosea'' is variously described as a

biennial Biennial means (an event) lasting for two years or occurring every two years. The related term biennium is used in reference to a period of two years. In particular, it can refer to: * Biennial plant, a plant which blooms in its second year and t ...

(having a two-year life cycle), as an annual, or as a short-lived

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

. It frequently self-sows, which may create a perception that the

plants Plants are the eukaryotes that form the kingdom Plantae; they are predominantly photosynthetic. This means that they obtain their energy from sunlight, using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with cyanobacteria to produce sugars f ...

are perennial. The plant may flower during its first year when sown early. It will grow in a wide range of soils, and can easily reach a height of The flowers are in a range of colours from white to dark red, including pink, yellow and orange. Different colours prefer different soils. The darker red variety seems to favour sandy soils, while the lighter colour seems to favour clay soils. The plants are easily grown from seed, and readily self-seed. However, tender plants, whether young from seed or from old stock, may be wiped out by slugs and snails. The foliage is subject to attack from

rust (fungus) Rusts are fungal plant pathogens of the order Pucciniales (previously known as Uredinales) causing plant fungal diseases. An estimated 168 rust genera and approximately 7,000 species, more than half of which belong to the genus ''Puccinia'', are ...

, which may be treated with

fungicide Fungicides are pesticides used to kill parasitic fungi or their spores. Fungi can cause serious damage in agriculture, resulting in losses of yield and quality. Fungicides are used both in agriculture and to fight fungal infections in animals, ...

s. Commercial growers have reported that some closely related species ('' Alcea rugosa'' and ''

Alcea ficifolia ''Alcea ficifolia'', commonly known as the fig leaf hollyhock, fig hollyhock and Antwerp hollyhock, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the mallow family (Malvaceae). This species is native to Iran and introduced into Europe, and it is well-known ...

'') are resistant to this fungus.

Properties

Growing up to 8 feet tall, this plant usually does not require staking, producing large flowers around 5 inches in diameter. Its leaves are large and heart-shaped. The flowers attract hummingbirds in the Americas, and butterflies.

Pests and diseases

The leaves are vulnerable to

rust Rust is an iron oxide, a usually reddish-brown oxide formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the catalytic presence of water or air moisture. Rust consists of hydrous iron(III) oxides (Fe2O3·nH2O) and iron(III) oxide-hydroxide (FeO(OH) ...

leaf spot A leaf spot is a limited, discoloured, diseased area of a leaf that is caused by fungal, bacterial or viral plant diseases, or by injuries from nematodes, insects, environmental factors, toxicity or herbicides. These discoloured spots or lesions ...

and

anthracnose A plant canker is a small area of dead tissue, which grows slowly, often over years. Some cankers are of only minor consequence, but others are ultimately lethal and therefore can have major economic implications for agriculture and horticultur ...

. Pest problems include

Japanese beetle The Japanese beetle (''Popillia japonica'') is a species of Scarabaeidae, scarab beetle. Due to the presence of Predation, natural predators, the Japanese beetle is not considered a pest in its native Japan, but in North America and some region ...

and spider mites. Though damage to the leaves can be extensive, the flowers are rarely affected.

Herbalism

In herbal medicine, hollyhock is believed to be an

emollient A moisturizer, or emollient, is a cosmetic preparation used for protecting, moisturizing, and lubricating the skin. These functions are normally performed by sebum produced by healthy skin. The word "emollient" is derived from the Latin verb ''mo ...

and

laxative Laxatives, purgatives, or aperients are substances that loosen stools and increase bowel movements. They are used to treat and prevent constipation. Laxatives vary as to how they work and the side effects they may have. Certain stimulant, lubri ...

. It is used to control

inflammation Inflammation (from ) is part of the biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. The five cardinal signs are heat, pain, redness, swelling, and loss of function (Latin ''calor'', '' ...

, to stop

bedwetting Nocturnal enuresis (NE), also informally called bedwetting, is involuntary urination while asleep after the age at which bladder control usually begins. Bedwetting in children and adults can result in emotional stress. Complications can inclu ...

and as a mouthwash in cases of bleeding gums.Howard, Michael. ''Traditional Folk Remedies'' (Century, 1987) p.155

Gallery

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Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

File:Alcea rosea nigra.JPG, alt=Black hollyhock (Alcea rosa nigra), Black cultivar 'Nigra' File:'Blacknight' hollyhock IMG 9621.jpg, alt=Hollyhock 'Blacknight', 'Blacknight' חוטמית תרבותית.jpg, In Palestine File:Alcea rosea01.jpg File:Hollyhock 1r.jpg File:ALTHAEA ROSEA - TORÀ - IB-737 (Malva reial).JPG File:Stockros (Althea rosea) - Ystad-2023.jpg, In

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

. File:ALCEA ROSEA spring celebrities white.jpg, ALCEA ROSEA 'spring celebrities white'

References

{{Authority control rosea Flora of Turkey Medicinal plants of Asia Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus