Heavenly Hollyhocks in the Desert Southwest

 

 

Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) have always been a flower dear to my heart.  Can't explain why besides they have such a beautifully majestic look to them (at least to me) as they sway in the wind.  According to information I've read, they are biennials, taking two years to bloom (although you can't always believe what's written since these seeded last summer and are blooming now).  Hollyhocks are originally from Asia, grown in ancient China by wealthy people.  They spread to the Middle East through trade routes and then were carried to western Europe by returning Crusaders from the Holy Land.  The Latin name of the hollyhock plant, Alcea, is derived from altho the Greek word for healer.  In Greek Mythology, Althea is a beautiful goddess of healing and compassion, family, marriage and protection.  The flowers were used as a diuretic, a laxative, an emollient and in anti-inflammatory treatments. Rosea is Latin for for rose, rosy or pink.  The common name, hollyhock, is a combination of two words — holy and hock. Holy refers to the healing powers of the plant and that it was brought to Europe from the Holy Land.  Hock is an Old English word which means mallow.  Hollyhocks made their way to the United States in colonial times in seed packets carried by immigrants.  They symbolize the circle of life and abundance and were traditionally planted near the front door to welcome prosperity.

 

 

 

This beautiful dark reddish-pink hollyhock grew to well over seven feet tall!

 

 

Besides their beauty, I love that they attract various pollinators, fun to watch as they forage in the flowers.  Although it seems every time I try to take a photo of one of the big, fat bumblebees in the flowers, they promptly flew away!  Just so you know, I did not "plant" these - they are reseeds from last year's plants or plants years before.  The reseeded hollyhocks have put on such an amazing display this year, most growing over 6 feet tall, most in various shades of pink, all with multiple blooming stalks.  Fortunately, they seem to grow fairly easily here in the Desert Southwest just so long as the soil is not super rich and you don't flood them with water.  From experience, I have found they thrive in poor soil (although I have read otherwise in "how to grow hollyhocks" gardening articles).  You should see the really crappy soil mine are growing in!  They are also very happy between rocks in our xeriscaped side yard and are found growing in cracks in Santa Fe sidewalks.  In fact, these hollyhocks are descendants from seed I gathered in pre-covid Santa Fe from hollyhocks growing in palces where it looks like nothing should survive.  Once the seeds set, you can be sure that I'll be collecting them, giving some to friends who have expressed an interest and keeping some for myself so a new generation will (hopefully) appear.  The photos below are a sampling of the hollyhocks that put such cheer in my heart and a smile on my face.  I hope you enjoy the photos!   And, if you would like, please leave a comment letting me know which is your favorite.

 

 

 

Wonderful color combination with slightly ruffled petals.  Did you notice the small insect on the left petal of the main flower?

 

 

 

This hollyhock looks like the darker pink has been applied with a paint brush against the pale pink.

 

 

 

The yellow pollen certainly stands out against the burgundy red.

 

 

 

This hollyhock seems to be a miniature, only standing about 4 feet tall with smaller, more compact leaves than the other giants.  A tiny pollinator is seen on a petal.  

 

 

 

Gorgeous dark maroon brush strokes around the radiant yellow center.

 

 

 

This is the only hollyhock that is mainly pure pink.

 

 

 

Wonderful pale pink edging on an otherwise darker pink hollyhock.

 

 

 

In real life, this hollyhock is so much prettier.  The darker pink brushstrokes actually glitter in the sun!

 

 

 

Another beauty that is about seven feet tall with multiple blooming stalks.

 

 

By the way, I wanted to share what the hollyhocks are growing in:   

 

 

All of the hollyhocks pictured above are growing in this - definitely NOT fertile soil.  

 

 

 

Hollyhocks have reseeded themselves for years now in the xeriscape river rock on the side of the house.  This spring this one sprouted, along with eight others, in the rocks with really crappy soil underneath.  What hardy souls!  I expect them to bloom either this autumn or next spring.

 

 

I hope you enjoyed each and every one of these hollyhock photographs!  If you would like to make my day, please leave a blog comment and I will pass it along to the hollyhocks.  And any promotion you can do will be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

 

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