If you have a small garden or are tired of staking hollyhocks, consider ‘Queeny Purple’, a dwarf hollyhock standing only 36” high. ‘Queeny Purple’ has large purple-magenta flowers with fringed petals surrounding a fluffy center and flowers over a long bloom time beginning in summer. Plants are deer and rabbit resistant but attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. Unfortunately, like other hollyhocks, ‘Queeny Purple’ is susceptible to rust. ‘Queeny Purple’ is a biennial but blooms the first year. It will produce seed but the seeds are unlikely to look like ‘Queeny Purple’ and must be replanted every year. This is an excellent choice for containers as well as beds and borders.
Type: Biennial; blooms the first year
Bloom: Large purple magenta flowers
Foliage: Attractive, coarse, dark green leaves
Size: 24-26” H x 24-36” W
Light: Full sun
Soil: Rich, moist, well-drained
Hardiness: Zones 3-8
Care: Avoid windy sites or plan to stake plants.
Pests and Diseases: Rust-Apply a systemic fungicide every two weeks beginning in mid-May to prevent an outbreak. Once an infection has developed remove all infected leaves immediately and spray plants with contact fungicide to kill spores that carry the disease from leaf to leaf.
Propagation: Seed but a hybrid and will not come true.
Companion plants: Roses, bellflower, larkspur.
Karen Meyers