Common Name: Hollyhock

General Information

Alcea rosea is a biennial to short-lived perennial plant producing a single, very stout, unbranched stem that can be up to 3 metres tall, but is more commonly around 2 metres[, ].
The plant has a wide range of local uses as a food, medicine and source of materials. A very ornamental plant with its large, attractive flowers, it is often cultivated in gardens[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Found through much of the temperate zone, the original habitat is obscure, it is probably of hybrid origin.

Habitat

Not known in a truly wild situation.

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	2.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Alcea rosea can be grown through most of the temperate zone and into the subtropics. Plants can tolerate temperatures down to about -15°c[].
Prefers a sunny position, but will tolerate light shade[]. Succeeds in most soils so long as they are well drained[, ]. Poor soils should be enriched with organic matter[, ]. Prefers a heavy rich soil and a sheltered sunny position[].
The plant is usually grown as a biennial due to its susceptibility to the fungal disease 'rust'[, ].
Although short-lived, hollyhocks easily self-seed and can establish colonies in the garden that persist for years as if they were perennials[].
There are many named varieties, developed for their ornamental value[].
Young plants, and also the young growth in spring, are very attractive to slugs[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves - raw or cooked[, , ]. A mild flavour, but the texture leaves something to be desired[]. They have been used as a pot-herb, though they are not particularly palatable, and can easily become a mucilaginous mush if overcooked[, ]. They can also be chopped up finely and added to salads[].

Inner portion of young stems - raw[].

Flower petals and flower buds - raw. Added to salads[].

A nutritious starch is obtained from the root[].

A refreshing tea is made from the flower petals[].

Medicinal

The flowers are demulcent, diuretic and emollient[, ]. They are useful in the treatment of chest complaints[], and a decoction is used to improve blood circulation, for the treatment of constipation, dysmenorrhoea, haemorrhage etc[].
The flowers are harvested when they are open and are dried for later use[].

The shoots are used to ease a difficult labour[].

The root is astringent and demulcent[]. A decoction is taken in the treatment of dysentery[].
Applied externally, it is crushed and applied as a poultice to ulcers[].

The roots and the flowers are used in Tibetan medicine, where they are said to have a sweet, acrid taste and a neutral potency[]. They are used in the treatment of inflammations of the kidneys/womb, vaginal/seminal discharge, and the roots on their own are used to treat loss of appetite[].

The seed is demulcent, diuretic and febrifuge[].

Other Uses

A fibre obtained from the stems is used in papermaking[]. The stems are harvested in late summer, the leaves are removed and the stems are steamed until the fibres can be removed. The fibres are cooked with lye for 2 hours and then ball milled for 3 hours or pounded with mallets. The paper is light tan in colour[].
The fibre is of good length, bright in color, a light straw, but exhibits only medium strength. It would be a poor substitute for jute (Corchorus spp)[].

The flowers are an alternative ingredient of 'Quick Return' herbal compost activator[]. This is a dried and powdered mixture of several herbs that can be added to a compost heap in order to speed up bacterial activity and thus shorten the time needed to make the compost[].

An extract of the whole plant is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as an emollient, humectant and skin conditioner[].
An extract of the flowers is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a skin conditioner[].
An aqueous solution of the steam distillates derived from the flowers is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a skin conditioner and solvent[].
An extract of the roots is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a humectant[].


The seed contains 12% of a drying oil[, ].

The red anthocyanin constituent of the flowers is used as a litmus[].

A brown dye is obtained from the petals[].

Propagation

Seed - sow mid spring or late summer in pots or in situ[, ]. Easily grown from seed, which usually germinates in about 2 - 3 weeks at 20°c[, ]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the spring.
Division after flowering. Only use rust-free specimens.
Root cuttings in early winter.
Basal cuttings at almost any time of year.