Alcea rosea Halo Lavender seeds - Hollyhock

The Halo Lavender Hollyhock (Alcea rosea) is a variety from the 'Halo' series bearing single flowers in shades of purple with purple highlights, featuring a pink halo around a contrasting creamy yellow centre. Ideal for adding height to a garden, this perennial is perfect at the back of borders or in large flowerbeds. Its generous summer flowering feeds bees and butterflies. Hardy and less prone to rust, each plant produces 5 to 10 flowering stems after two years. It requires no watering once established and self-seeds spontaneously in the garden.

Alcea rosea, commonly known as hollyhock, belongs to the Malvaceae family and originates from the Middle East. The 'Halo' series, developed by breeder Thompson & Morgan in the early 2000s, stands out for its single flowers in vibrant colours, all marked by a contrasting centre. The 'Halo Lavender' cultivar presents large flowers measuring between 10 and 12 cm in diameter. Like other varieties in the series, this hollyhock can reach a height of 1.50 to 2 m depending on growing conditions. Its foliage is rough and dark green, and its sturdy flowering stems bring height to the garden. This very hardy variety can withstand temperatures down to -15°C, and it proves more perennial than most hollyhocks.

The other varieties in the 'Halo' series offer several colours to diversify flowerbeds. These include 'Halo White' (white flowers with yellow centre), 'Halo Red' (deep red with yellow centre), 'Halo Blush' (pale pink with darker centre), 'Halo Pink' (pink with yellow centre), 'Halo Apricot' (apricot with pink centre) and 'Halo Mixed' that brings them all together.

Halo Lavender Hollyhock adds height and elegance to a flowerbed when planted in the background or along a sunny wall. It pairs well with other tall perennials in shades of blue, white, pink, or purple. For instance, combine it with Veronicastrum virginicum 'Apollo' with its fine mauve floral spikes. Penstemon 'Husker Red', featuring white flowers and purple foliage, will provide a subtle contrast with the other two plants.

The hollyhock is both ornamental and medicinal. Its seeds yield an oil with astringent properties. Rich in mucilage, it has soothing, emollient, expectorant, laxative, and appetising properties that are weaker than those of its herbalist cousin, the marshmallow (Althea officinalis).