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.
Comments (11)
I have only tried them from seed, and have never had any luck getting them to grow. That is really pretty!
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?
I use a Canon G5.
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.’
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.
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?
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
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!
Beautiful! The color is stunning.
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
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