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Hollyhocks can either be purchased from garden supply stores as pre-cultivated seedlings and then planted directly in the desired location in the garden, or they can be grown from seed. Tip: The flowers of double hollyhocks are less bee-friendly than the single flowers. They have a special long-distance effect in the herbaceous border. They reach a height of growth of 1.6 to 1.8 m and form large cupped flowers in fire red or white with yellow centres. Somewhat lower remain the cultivars ′Mars Magic′ and ′Polarstar′ from the Alcea rosea Spotlight series. Besides the classic hollyhocks with single flowers, there are also varieties with double flowers This hollyhock is very low maintenance and resistant to drought as well as mallow rust. Its flowering period lasts from May to October, which is extremely long. It grows 1.8 to 2.5 m tall and has up to 10 cm large, wonderfully fragrant flowers in pastel pink. Both cultivars grow about 2 to 2.5 m high.Ī lesser known hollyhock species is Alcea pallida, also called Turkish hollyhock. Popular cultivars of the common hollyhock are Alcea rosea ′Nigra′ with deep red, almost black-looking flowers and Alcea rosea ′Pleniflora′, which is available in many bright colours such as yellow, dark pink or red and whose flowers are plump. In contrast, ficifolia hybrids of Alcea ficifolia and Alcea rosea ( Alcea x ficifolia) are perennial rather than biennial. Tip: The hollyhock species Alcea rosea and Alcea ficifolia are biennials rather than perennials. Hollyhocks can grow up to three metres high and look great in the back of perennial beds Probably the best known and most common hollyhock species is the common hollyhock ( Alcea rosea). There is a great variety of hollyhocks species and cultivars, whose flowers appear in many different colours and can be unfilled or filled. The flowering period of hollyhocks lasts from July to September. The stem and lobed leaves of hollyhocks, about 15 cm in size, are light green in colour and rough-haired. In the first year, only the rosette of leaves is formed, from which in the second year grows a sturdy, barely branched stem with numerous flower spikes. If they are reseeded annually, you can look at their beautiful flowers year after year. Hollyhocks are usually biennial, but in favorable locations may well be perennial. Hollyhocks can grow up to 3 m tall and are popular for planting in the back of herbaceous borders or even along house walls, which makes them stand out particularly well. Their distinctive feature is their height. For a long time they have also felt at home in Europe. The ancient garden mallows originally come from the Orient. Hollyhocks ( Alcea) are flowering shrubs and form a distinct genus in the mallow family (Malvaceae). Hollyhocks: flowering period, origin and characteristics
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