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The hollyhock, perennial or biennial from the Malvaceae family, native to Central Asia and the Middle East, naturalized for several centuries throughout the Mediterranean basin and temperate Europe, where it has established itself permanently along walls, paths, and villages.
In the first year, it develops a basal rosette of large palmate-lobed leaves, rough and slightly hairy, medium green. In the second year, or even the first under certain conditions, it erects a robust and upright stem that can reach 2 to 3 meters, bearing a long cluster of single or double flowers, 8 to 12 cm in diameter, opening progressively from bottom to top from June to August. The color palette of the cultivars is exceptionally wide: pure white, pale yellow, pink, carmine red, burgundy, mauve, violet, and almost black.
A full sun plant, it appreciates well-drained, calcareous or light soils, and a warm and sheltered exposure. It self-seeds spontaneously and can thus perpetuate itself in place for many years, while technically remaining biennial. Susceptible to hollyhock rust, a fungal disease that frequently marks its foliage at the end of the season without compromising flowering.