PLANT PROFILE:
Zone: 3-10
Height: 180 - 240cm (6 - 8 ft)
Spread: 45 - 90cm (1.5 - 3 ft)
Foliage: As a biennial, Alcea will form a basal rosette the first season, flower spike the second year, and sometimes endures a third year; foliage is medium green in colour and coarse textured
Flower: Large, single, black-maroon flowers open sequentially up the stalk from summer through fall
Soil: Average, moist, with good drainage; can tolerate some drought
Garden site: Rich dark bloom colour contrasts wonderfully and complements brighter colours in the garden; the tall, vertical shape works well in the back or mid-range of beds
Alcea rosea 'Nigra' (Hollyhock, black)
Hollyhocks attract busy pollinators which move throughout a garden. If you want to maintain the black flower colour in your harvested seed, these hollyhocks must be isolated away from hollyhocks of other colours or the plants will likely cross pollinate.
