Practical
Plants

Alcea rosea

Hollyhock

a perennial member of the Alcea genus in the family Malvaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Malvaceae
Genus
Alcea
Life cycle
perennial
Height
2.4 m
Spread
0.6 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Young leaves - raw or cooked[11][21][8]. A mild flavour, but the texture leaves something to be desired[K]. They have been used as a pot-herb, though they are not particularly palatable[20]. They can also be chopped up finely and added to salads[K]. Inner portion of young stems - raw[2]. Flower petals and flower buds - raw. Added to salads[9]. A nutritious starch is obtained from the root[9]. A refreshing tea is made from the flower petals[9].

Plant part
Flowers
Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Root
Plant part
Stem
Product or use
Tea

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The flowers are demulcent, diuretic and emollient[20][13]. They are useful in the treatment of chest complaints[20], and a decoction is used to improve blood circulation, for the treatment of constipation, dysmenorrhoea, haemorrhage etc[14]. The flowers are harvested when they are open and are dried for later use[15]. The shoots are used to ease a difficult labour[14]. The root is astringent and demulcent[16]. It is crushed and applied as a poultice to ulcers[14]. Internally, it is used in the treatment of dysentery[16]. The roots and the flowers are used in Tibetan medicine, where they are said to have a sweet, acrid taste and a neutral potency[17]. They are used in the treatment of inflammations of the kidneys/womb, vaginal/seminal discharge, and the roots on their own are used to treat loss of appetite[17]. The seed is demulcent, diuretic and febrifuge[16].

Product or use
Antiinflammatory
Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Demulcent
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Emollient
Product or use
Febrifuge

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A fibre obtained from the stems is used in papermaking[10]. The fibres are about 1.9mm long. The stems are harvested in late summer, the leaves are removed and the stems are steamed until the fibres can be removed. The fibres are cooked with lye for 2 hours and then ball milled for 3 hours or pounded with mallets. The paper is light tan in colour[10]. The flowers are an alternative ingredient of 'Quick Return' herbal compost activator[19]. This is a dried and powdered mixture of several herbs that can be added to a compost heap in order to speed up bacterial activity and thus shorten the time needed to make the compost[K]. The seed contains 12% of a drying oil[4][16]. The red anthocyanin constituent of the flowers is used as a litmus[4]. A brown dye is obtained from the petals[6].

Product or use
Compost
Product or use
Dye
Product or use
Litmus
Product or use
Oil
Product or use
Paper

Environment

Range
The original habitat is obscure, it is probably of hybrid origin. A garden escape in Britain[7].
Habitat
Not known in a truly wild situation.
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 6+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow April/May or August/September in pots or in situ[12][15]. Easily grown from seed, which usually germinates in about 2 - 3 weeks at 20°c[5][18]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Division after flowering. Only use rust-free specimens. Root cuttings in December. Basal cuttings at almost any time of year.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in most soils[1]. Poor soils should be enriched with organic matter[1][3]. Prefers a heavy rich soil and a sheltered sunny position[12]. Plants are hardy to about -15°c[12]. A very ornamental plant, it is usually grown as a biennial due to its susceptibility to the fungal disease 'rust'[1][12]. There are many named varieties[15]. Young plants, and also the young growth in spring, are very attractive to slugs[K].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  2. Turner. N. J. and Szczawinski. A. Edible Wild Fruits and Nuts of Canada. National Museum of Natural Sciences 1978-00-00

    ↩

  3. Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge 1926-00-00

    ↩

  4. Chakravarty. H. L. The Plant Wealth of Iraq.

    ↩1↩2

  5. Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan. 1987-00-00

    ↩

  6. Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-02-544950-8

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  7. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

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  8. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  9. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  10. Bell. L. A. Plant Fibres for Papermaking. Liliaceae Press 1988-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  11. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

  12. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  13. Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-553-23827-2

    ↩

  14. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩1↩2↩3

  15. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2↩3

  16. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  17. Tsarong. Tsewang. J. Tibetan Medicinal Plants Tibetan Medical Publications, India 1994-00-00 ISBN 81-900489-0-2

    ↩1↩2

  18. Stuart. M. (Editor) The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism Orbis Publishing. London. 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-85613-067-2

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  19. Bruce. M. E. Commonsense Compost Making. Faber 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-571-09990-4

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  20. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  21. Harris. B. C. Eat the Weeds. Pivot Health 1973-00-00

    ↩

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