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Annual BiennialHerbaceous Perennial

Alcea rosea 'Purple Rain' (Spotlight Series)

hollyhock 'Purple Rain'

A biennial or short-lived perennial to 2m or more, with shallowly lobed, rounded leaves and long erect racemes of open funnel-shaped flowers to 10cm across, which are a deep plum-purple colour

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Ultimate height

1.5–2.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

1–2 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Malvaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming, Columnar upright
Genus: Alcea are robust biennials or short-lived perennials with showy funnel-shaped flowers borne in tall, erect racemes in summer
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Thrives in well-drained, moderately fertile soil in full sun. Will need support on windy sites, see perennials: staking

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown early with gentle bottom heat in mid-to-late winter or in-situ in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Wildlife gardens
Flower borders and beds
Wall side borders

Pruning

Cut back dead foliage after flowering. Pull out and discard basal leaves once flowering. Sowing early and growing as first year flowering annuals or biennials and refreshing plants regularly can help limit the spread of rust

Pests

May be susceptible to cutworms and slugs on young growth, and to capsid bugs, aphids and mallow flea beetles

Diseases

May be susceptible to hollyhock rust

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