What kind of growing environment is suitable for hollyhocks?

Other names for hollyhock

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

Morphological characteristics of hollyhock

Hollyhock is a biennial herbaceous plant. The plant can reach a height of 2 m to 3 m. The stems are upright and straight, growing in clumps, unbranched, 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, 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 is 6 to 13 cm in diameter, and comes in purple, purple-red, pink, light red, purple-black, yellow, white and other colors, as well as bicolor varieties with different colored edges. There are 5 or more petals, obovate, with wavy and wrinkled or toothed edges, single, semi-double to double. There are many stamens, the anthers are united into a tube and surround the style, and the style is linear and protrudes above the stamens. The capsule is flat and round, and the seeds are kidney-shaped, with the back edge raised like a cockscomb and oblique lines on the sides. The 1000-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 tolerance to saline-alkali conditions and can still grow in soil containing 0.6% salt. It is cold-tolerant and can overwinter safely in the open ground in North China. It grows well in loose, fertile, well-drained sandy soil rich in organic matter.

Symbolic meaning of the hollyhock flower language

The flower language of hollyhock is gentleness.

If you want to send 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 sending 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 is very popular. Red hollyhock is especially suitable for planting in courtyards, along roadsides, and in sites arranged as flower borders. It can also form lush hedges and flower walls, beautifying the garden environment. It brings a gentle feeling to the owners of the hedges and flower walls.

Value of hollyhock

1. Ornamental value. Hollyhock has large leaves, abundant flowers, bright colors and a long flowering period, and is a relatively commonly cultivated flower 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 pot flowers and displayed in front of doors, but should not be kept indoors for long. They can also be cut for use as cut flowers, for vase arrangements or for flower baskets, bouquets and so on.

2. Medicinal value. The roots, stems, leaves, flowers and seeds of hollyhock are medicinal materials, clearing heat and detoxifying. Taken internally, they treat constipation, neutralize pufferfish poison, promote urination and treat dysentery. Applied externally, they treat sores and ulcers, burns and other conditions.

3. Other value. Hollyhock roots contain sugars and alcohol compounds. The flowers contain anthocyanins, red pigments, glucose and althaein. The seeds contain fatty oil, in which unsaturated free sterols make up 34.88%. The stems can be used as weaving fiber material, and the anthocyanins extracted from the flowers can be used as food coloring.

Appreciation of hollyhock pictures