Alcea rosea Chaters Double Violet - Hollyhock

The Alcea rosea Chater's Double Violet, or hollyhock, displays very double flowers in summer, similar to large pompoms of deep mauve violet, whose tight ripples trap a hint of lilac. This plant, full of romance, is nevertheless very robust. Often perennial in the south, it proves to be ephemeral in cooler climates, where it is often cultivated as a biennial that readily self-seeds wherever it pleases. It thrives in full sun or partial shade, sheltered from strong winds, in deep soil, even occasionally dry.

The hollyhock is also known by its Latin name Althaea rosea, and its vernacular names adopt all the accents of our regions: it is called Passe-rose, Rose à bâton, Rose papale or primerose. From the malvaceae family, it originates from Asia Minor and is often naturalized in natural gardens, fallow lands, and mounds of earth. 'Chater's Double Violet' is a variety with large very double flowers derived from this wild species. It is an upright plant, usually unbranched, which can reach a height of 2m (7ft) to 2.5m (8ft). It forms a rosette of rounded leaves with 5 or 7 lobes, from which a robust flowering stem emerges, with very rapid growth. These spike-like inflorescences are covered with large buds that open, in a staggered manner from June to August, from bottom to top, into large double corolla flowers whose texture wonderfully reflects light. They display a delightful hue, and are tenderly pressed against each other on the stem. Throughout this period, they will attract bees and butterflies to your garden. The flowering gives way to numerous fruits filled with seeds that self-sow spontaneously in the most unexpected areas, which it chooses itself: at the foot of walls, in poor and rocky soils, crevices in walls, etc.

Very common in abandoned gardens or fallow lands in our countryside, the hollyhock is often cultivated at the back of borders or against a wall that protects it from strong winds. The violet pompoms of this variety can be combined with dark or light forms, single or double, against a wall or against a hedge of conifers. This plant is said to be tolerant of juglone, a substance secreted by walnut roots; it could be attempted to be planted at the base of this tree, if there is sufficient light. The hollyhock is an edible plant, the floral buds can be consumed raw in salads and the young leaves raw or cooked.

The hollyhock is both ornamental and medicinal. A drying oil is extracted from its seeds. Rich in mucilage, it has soothing, emollient, expectorant, laxative, and appetizing properties, attenuated compared to those of its cousin the marshmallow herb (Althaea officinalis).