Holly Hocks
Alcea rosea.


Once, tall "holly hocks" grew against the walls of every monastery herb garden in Europe, where the flowers were used in medicinal preparations. These biennial beauties spire up against the barn walls, fences and trellis's here at MoonVeil, unabashedly volunteering themselves in new plots every year. When given good soil they do not tend to succumb so easily to rust, a fungal diseas whose nasty orange spots soon render a clump totally leafless, though still in bloom. Hollyhocks will flower for many weeks from July to September.

Uses: Like other members of the mallow family, holly hocks help sooth irritated mucous membranes, as a gargle, the dried flower tea helps soothe oral inflammations.