hollyhock
This is my first hollyhock. It was an exchange plant last year from a fellow gardener. I did not really have great expectations for it but I had a place that needing filling in. It was not all that impressive last year, although it did put out a few flowers. But I am starting to like the way it looks this year.
There are a lot more flower buds on there and I can imagine the way it might look if they were all to open. A stand of these together could look pretty impressive. I think I need to see what other colors there might be.
I especially like the way it is so vertical.
May 20th, 2005 @ 2:56 pm
I have only tried them from seed, and have never had any luck getting them to grow. That is really pretty!
May 20th, 2005 @ 3:16 pm
oooh! We have one in our garden that never bloomed last year, but has loads of buds this year. Will take a shot of ours when it blooms, and compare.. yours is gorgeous!
What kind of camera do you use?
May 20th, 2005 @ 9:39 pm
I use a Canon G5.
May 22nd, 2005 @ 11:39 am
That is Malva ‘Zebrina.’ It is sometimes sold as miniature hollyhock, but it is not a true hollyhock, though it is in the same botanical family. True hollyhocks have much larger flowers and leaves, and grow much taller. There’s a few photos here of true hollyhocks, and I’m sure you could find tons more. If yours is as purple as the photo shows, it might be a different seed strain, like ‘Mystic Merlin.’
May 22nd, 2005 @ 6:36 pm
Oh I am dispappointed that it is not a hollyhock as I was told. But it is still pretty. I thought I remembered hollyhock flowers as larger than these are.
Overall the plant is about 4 feet tall. The colors are fairly accurately displayed in the photo.
May 23rd, 2005 @ 10:34 am
Oh, I’ve always wanted to grown Hollyhocks! There was a magical garden near my old place where they grew along the fence and sidewalk, and I just loved them.
And even if yours is “just” a malva, I still think it’s gorgeous! Perhaps you can call it a mollymocks?
May 24th, 2005 @ 12:00 pm
Well I was going to say, that’s the best looking hollyhock I’ve ever seen… then saw Kathy’s comment.
A very nice plant though.
Karen
May 24th, 2005 @ 4:53 pm
These tend to ‘walk’ a good bit up here. The top dies down in winter and the root sends up new shoots away from the original site. I don’t know if they will go heat dormant for you, but don’t be surprized if it ‘dies’ and then reappears!
May 26th, 2005 @ 6:15 pm
Beautiful! The color is stunning.
July 30th, 2006 @ 7:16 am
I was given one just like the one pictured but in pink with a red center i have been searching for information on it and can’t seem to find anything.
mary
August 2nd, 2006 @ 11:37 am
Mallow, French Hollyhock ‘Zebrina’ (Malva sylvestris)
Family: Malvaceae (mal-VAY-see-ee) (Info)
Genus: Malva (MAL-vuh) (Info)
Species: sylvestris (sil-VESS-triss) (Info)
Cultivar: Zebrina
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/51464/index.html