Alcea rosea, or Hollyhocks, are herbaceous flowering plants that reseed themselves and can produce colonies of plants that return in the garden year after year.
Many people don't realize that the common garden flower, Hollyhock, is completely edible – root, leaves and blossoms – and useful for more than just its charming looks.
Hollyhocks need full sun and moist, rich, well drained soil. The mistake many novice hollyhock growers make is to plant this flower in soil that's too dry. If you are planting seeds, sow them outside about a week before last frost. If you are planting seedlings out, wait about two to three weeks after last frost.
