Beautiful flowering plants, the Hollyhocks are flowers originating from Asia that are usually found in the wild where they can reach an amazing height of almost 3 meters. The Hollyhock flower is the proud representative of the Malvaceae family, and bears the scientific name of Alcea rosea. Its appearance resembles that of a very sophisticated flower although it normally occurs in the wild and in the most unexpected places. The central and the southern parts of Asia are the most common parts where this plant settles its habitat. The Alcea Rosea genus is known to comprise of more than 60 species of flowers, most of them biennial or perennial plants with lobed leaves and numerous flowers.
The amazing thing about the Hollyhock is that even if the soil conditions are a bit harsh, the plant still manages to grow tall and sophisticated, with its intense flowering colors. It’s not unusual for the Hollyhock to occur even in strange and deplorable places such as the wastelands, where most flowers could be damaged by the harsh environment.
Reaching a generous height of 3 meters, the flowers produced by the Hollyhock appear along a tall stem which is often covered with dense hairs. The stem is quite resistant and thick in order to bear the numerous flowers that grow on it and also to face the windy weather that could break it in two if it were less strong. The colors of the flowers produced can vary from pink and purple to red and from white to yellow or orange shades.
The Hollyhock usually produces a fruit abundant in oval seeds contained on a ring. These flowers are also likely to form colonies, situation in which the blooming process may last between one and two months.
Its decorative purpose wasn’t overseen by our contemporary culture, as this flower is in high demand at florists all around the world. People admire it not only for its majestic appearance given by the height of its stem, but also because is sophistication given by the flowers grown on the stem’s surface. A successful combination of color and vegetation, the Hollyhock has even come to be a cultural symbol of the Japanese culture. The Hollyhock was included into the official seal of the Tokugawa Shogunate in Japan and has also been referred to in works belonging to the Japanese literature.
Highly appreciated for its decorative aspect, this flower has become to be more and more cultivated in city parks, residential neighborhoods and urban places, competing with flowers such as gerberas, roses and many others.
Some of the most popular and most successfully cultivated species of the Alcea rosea genus are: Alcea biennis, Alcea ficifolia, Alcea lavateriflora, Alcea setosa or the Bristly Hollyhock or Alcea striata, even though the commonest still remains the Alcea rosea, or simply, the Hollyhock.
Hollyhock Pictures Gallery
