What makes hollyhock special? A detailed look at its characteristics

Other names for hollyhock

Hollyhock, also called yizhanghong, shujihua, rongkui, wukui, weizukui, hukui, doupeng flower, and shujie flower, is a perennial herbaceous flower in the mallow family, genus Alcea. Because it originated in Sichuan, China, it is called Shukui (Sichuan mallow). And because it can reach about one zhang in height and its flowers are mostly red, it is also called yizhanghong.

Morphological characteristics of hollyhock

Hollyhock is a biennial herbaceous plant. The plant can reach 2 m to 3 m in height, with upright, sturdy, clustered stems that do not branch, and the whole plant is covered with stellate hairs and bristles. The leaves are nearly round-cordate or oblong, 6 cm to 18 cm long and 5 cm to 20 cm wide. The basal leaves are larger, the leaf surface is rough, both sides are covered with stellate hairs, and the petioles are 5 cm to 15 cm long.

The flowers are solitary or nearly clustered in the leaf axils, and are sometimes arranged in racemes. There are 6 to 9 bracteoles, broadly lanceolate, united at the base and attached outside the calyx tube. There are 5 sepals, ovate-lanceolate. The corolla diameter is 6 to 13 cm, with colors including purple, purple-red, pink, light red, purple-black, yellow, and white, as well as bicolor varieties with different colors at the edges. There are 5 or more petals, obovate, with wavy and wrinkled or toothed edges, single, semi-double, to double. Stamens are numerous, and the anthers unite into a tube that surrounds the style; the style is linear and protrudes above the stamens. The capsule is flattened-round, and the seeds are kidney-shaped, with the back edge raised like a rooster's comb and oblique lines on the sides. The thousand-seed weight is about 9.2 grams.

Growth habits of hollyhock

Hollyhock likes full sunlight and tolerates partial shade, but dislikes waterlogging. It has strong salt-alkali tolerance and can still grow in soil containing 0.6% salt. It is cold-tolerant and can overwinter safely outdoors in North China. It grows well in loose, fertile, well-drained sandy soil rich in organic matter.

Hollyhock flower language and symbolic meaning

The flower language of hollyhock is gentleness.

If you want to give flowers to your beloved or girlfriend to praise her gentle personality and her qualities as a good wife and loving mother, then you might consider giving red hollyhock, which represents the flower language of gentleness. Red hollyhock, that is, red hollyhock, is very beautiful, with bright colors that give a fresh feeling and are much loved. Red hollyhock is especially suitable for planting in courtyards, along roadsides, and in sites arranged as flower borders. It can also form luxuriant hedges and flower walls, beautifying the garden environment. It brings a gentle feeling to the owners of the hedge or flower wall.

The value of hollyhock

1. Ornamental value. Hollyhock has large leaves, abundant flowers, vivid colors, and a long blooming period, and is one of the more commonly cultivated flowers in gardens. It is suitable for planting beside buildings, beside rockeries, or as accents in flower beds and lawns, planted in rows or clumps. Dwarf varieties can be grown as potted flowers and displayed at the door, but are not suitable for being kept indoors for long periods. The flowers can also be cut for use as cut flowers, for vase arrangements, or for flower baskets, bouquets, and the like.

2. Medicinal value. The roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and seeds of hollyhock are medicinal materials. They clear heat and remove toxins; taken internally, they treat constipation, neutralize pufferfish poison, promote urination, and treat dysentery. Used externally, they treat sores, ulcers, scalds, and other conditions.

3. Other value. Hollyhock roots contain sugars and alcohol compounds. The flowers contain anthocyanins, red pigments, glucose, and hollyhock glycoside. The seeds contain fatty oil, in which unsaturated free alcohol is 34.88%. The stems can be used as weaving fiber material, and the anthocyanins extracted from the flowers can serve as food colorants.

Hollyhock picture appreciation