Old Barnyard Mix Hollyhock

Selected from an Old Vermont Barnyard!

You’ve never grown Hollyhocks until you watch this midnight-red explode into 5-inch bloom!

Genus: Alcea
Species: rosea
Variety: Old Barnyard Mix
Zone: 3 – 9
Bloom Start To End: Early Summer – Mid Summer
Habit: Upright
Plant Height: 4 ft – 6 ft
Plant Width: 24 in
Bloom Size: 3 in – 5 in
Additional Characteristics: Flower,Hummingbird Lovers,Repeat Bloomer
Bloom Color: Mix
Light Requirements: Full Sun,Part Shade
Moisture Requirements: Moist, well-drained
Resistance: Rust
Soil Tolerance: Normal, loamy
Uses: Beds,Border,Cut Flowers,Ornamental,Outdoor
Restrictions:
*Due to state restrictions we cannot ship to the following:
California,Canada,Guam,Hawaii,Idaho,Nevada,Oregon,Puerto Rico,Texas,Utah,Virgin Islands,Washington

1-Quart

Dug out of an old Vermont barnyard many years ago and carefully crossed and re-crossed for bigger, bolder blooms, this delightful Hollyhock captures the joy of the old-fashioned cottage garden. These blooms look like Grandma’s might have: single-flowered in dark, rich colors you just can’t find in today’s varieties!

Each bloom is 3 to 5 inches wide, with a bold yellow center and an absolutely dazzling color — brights and pastels as well as deep jewel tones. They arise most heavily in early summer on thick, sturdy 4- to 6-foot stems, attracting hummingbirds and buterflies by the dozen! (They are especially attractive to Checkered Skippers and the Common Hairstreak, acting as a host plant for the butterflies to lay their eggs.)

And these blooms are quite long-lasting. In warmer climates, they are strongest in late spring and early summer; farther north, they begin a few weeks later but then continue all summer long! Stake them to support the heavy, bloom- and bud-laden stalks, or let them lean against a building or other support. (In the olden days, Hollyhocks were traditionally grown against the sunny side of the barn, where they flourished in all the manure and muck!) Be sure to leave the last blooms on the plant even after the petals fall, for they will do your reseeding for you, and you’ll be rewarded with plenty of new plants come spring.

Space these plants 2 feet apart in sun to part shade in fertile, moist soil. Hollyhocks like a good feed, so you might want to top-dress with cow manure (home cooking to the Old Barnyard Mix!) to really get them growing. They are not long-lived, so let the new plants come up each spring to be assured of plentiful, ever-increasing color! Zones 3-9.