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Index : Flowers - Annuals
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- 5. Hollyhocks Grow Well in Desert Gardens - Top
- Hollyhocks are a truly versatile flowers. Although we most associate hollyhocks with traditional cool-weather flower gardens, they’re perfectly adapted to use in landscapes of the Southwest. They tolerate sun and heat and provide lasting color throughout the warm months.
Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) belong to the plant family ‘Malvaceae’ which include okra, flowering hibiscus, cotton and our own native desert mallow, sometimes referred to as wild hollyhock! Flower spikes typically reach 5 to 9 feet high depending on the strain. However, there are dwarf cultivars that grow just 2 to 3 feet tall. The individual flowers are large and come in white, yellow, pink, red, purple and maroon to nearly black.
Flower buds open in the spring, beginning on the bottom of the spike and working their way up through the summer. Flowers are large and showy and come in single, semi-double and double flowering forms. At any given time, a section of flowers a foot or more in height will be in full bloom, providing lots of color.
Because of their height, hollyhocks make great background plants. They’re also very attractive planted against fences, stucco walls, near gates or entryways. When grown in the open, away from walls or the wind buffering effects of larger plants, hollyhocks may require staking to keep them upright.
Avoid planting hollyhocks near lawn areas. The spray from lawn sprinklers continually wetting the foliage can cause rust disease to develop on the leaves. For this reason, overhead watering isn’t recommended. Water hollyhocks with drip irrigation, or if your watering by hand, water at the base, not over the foliage.
Hollyhocks need rich, moist, well-drained garden soil to thrive. Desert soils should be amended with lots of organic matter. Composted manure is the best amendment, but other forms of organic matter such as bagged compost and peat can also be used. Mix as much as you can into the top 12 to 18 inches of soil. Also mix some flowering plant fertilizer (typically high in phosphorous) into the soil to encourage root development and flowering. Preparing a bed for flower planting is best, not just the holes to be planted.
Old-fashioned hollyhocks are biennials that behave like short-lived perennials. They bloom sparsely the first year, if at all, and then really put on a show the second year. Sowing seeds in late summer provides for great blooms the following year. However, some of the newer strains behave more like annuals and will flower well the first year if started in early spring. Hollyhocks in containers are also available from time to time at garden centers. They can be planted spring through fall.
Hollyhocks will reseed themselves if the flower spikes are allowed to go to seed. However, if you want a neater appearance to your garden and the possibility of a second bloom period, cut the stalks down to just above the ground after they finish blooming. To encourage regrowth, make a light application of a fertilizer with nitrogen and phosphorous.
On occasion, hollyhocks are attacked by aphids and whiteflies. Both can be controlled with soap sprays applied periodically to the foliage. A soap spray can be made by mixing 2 tablespoons of liquid dish washing detergent in on gallon of water. Or mix one teaspoon of soap in a misting bottle filled with water.
Finally, like all garden flowers, hollyhocks should not be deprived of water. Keep the soil moist during the growing season and mulch the ground with chipped bark, ground wood mulch or compost to help hold in moisture.
Written by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona,
520-626-5161.
- Updated: June 19, 2005
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