Alcea (Hollyhocks)

flowers · garden plants · Asia and Europe

Tall flower towers. Hollyhocks are flowering plants that can grow very tall, making them perfect for the back of a garden where they stand like colorful towers.

From Asia and Europe. Most hollyhock species originally grew wild in Asia and Europe, though gardeners around the world now plant them in their gardens.

Part of mallow family. Hollyhocks belong to the Malvaceae family, which also includes plants like hibiscus and okra, making them distant relatives to crops we eat.

Over 80 species. The genus Alcea contains more than 80 different species of hollyhocks, each with its own slightly different flowers and growing habits.

Different from Americas. While hollyhocks in the Alcea genus come from Asia and Europe, there is a different hollyhock species that grows wild near streams in North America, but it belongs to a completely different genus.