Alcea (Hollyhock)

Alcea (Hollyhock) is a genus comprising 60 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, native to Asia and Europe.

Hollyhocks are erect, unbranched annual, biennial, or perennial plants. Leaves are petiolate, lobed or toothed. The plants are coated with star-shaped hairs. Flowers are sometimes solitary or arranged in racemes or fascicles. The flowers are pink, white, purple, or yellow with notched petals, over 3 cm wide. The fruit is a schizocarp that divided into over 15 seed-containing sections. When mature the schizocarp splits opne into mericarps.

Hollyhocks grows well in full sun, well-drained soil. Propagation is by seeds in late winter or early srping. Pests and diseases are aphids, capsid bugs, slugs, mallow flea beetles, cutworms, and rust.