Alcea rosea

‘Purple Rain’

PURPLE RAIN HOLLYHOCK

SALE: Buy 1 get 2 packs

Alcea rosea ‘Purple Rain’
PURPLE RAIN HOLLYHOCK
SALE: Buy 1 get 2 packs

Alcea rosea ‘Purple Rain’ is a right royal beauty.
She bears large, rich royal purple singles, with intense wine coloured centres.
And these striking blooms are borne on tall, upright 1.8m flower stems, so the whole plant is very stately and regal.

Handsome foliage & impressive cut flowers

A handsome foliage clump is an asset.
While the towering flower stems can be cut for majestic flower arrangements, or left to reel in the bees, beneficial pollinating insects and native honey-eater birds. Who all adore them.
Alcea rosea ‘Purple Rain’ deserves a feature place in the garden.

Water-wise & low maintenance

Alcea rosea is tough and easily grown in Full Sun to Part Shade.
Because it is hardy and in heat, dry, frost and wide range of soils.

So it will accept soils from sandy to clay, though it cannot tolerate waterlogged soils.
And can thrive in soils with a pH on both the acid and alkaline side of neutral.
While a little pampering with fertilizer, organic matter or compost will be rewarded with bumper flower towers.
And dousing with seaweed or fish emulsion products from time to time will really give them a health tonic.

Suitable for coastal gardens

Hollyhocks are also suitable for coastal gardens and exposed sites, as they do like to be well-aired. Though you may wish to give your stately spires some shelter from howling gales so they are not bowled over. They are usually happily self-supporting on strong stems.

Low maintenance

Alcea rosea is a thoroughly low maintenance plant, only needing to have the spent flower stems cut to the ground after each flowering session. And this also encourages more flower spires.
Happily it will gently self seed for you in suitable conditions, without ever becoming a nuisance.
Sadly for tropical gardeners, Hollyhocks are not suitable for very humid areas.

SEED SOWING ADVICE: QUICK & EASY
Suitable for beginners & kids

Sow any time indoors in punnets, or scatter directly in garden from late winter to spring.

Sow indoors for quick plants & early flowers: Sow the seeds on the surface of good quality seed raising mix.
Then pat gently into the surface of the mix and only just barely cover with sieved mix, sand or vermiculite.

Now thoroughly moisten the sown punnet by standing it in a shallow water bath.
And allowing the moisture to percolate up to the surface of the mix from below.

Then place punnet in a warm, well-lit position (not in direct sunlight).

Temperatures of 15-20°C approx. are best for rapid and optimum germination.

And continue to keep moist by placing a plastic lid or bag over the sown punnet, and misting the mix surface with a spray water bottle when required.

Seedlings emerge in approx. 14-21 days.

Seed Count: 5 large seeds per pack approx.

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