How to Grow Hollyhocks
Hollyhocks At a Glance
Difficulty
Moderate
Category
Flower
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -29°C
Plant Family
Malvaceae
Growing Season
Warm Season
Plant Lifecycle
Biennial
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Sow hollyhocks in spring, from about 4 weeks before your last frost until early summer, or in late summer. Sow 2 to 3 seeds 0.5 cm deep every 45 cm, right where they will stay, since they grow one long main root and do not like to be moved. They sprout in 10 to 14 days: keep the strongest seedling at each spot.
Most hollyhocks make a low clump of leaves in their first year and tall spires of flowers in their second, then drop seed so new plants come up on their own. Sow 2 years in a row and you will have flowers every summer from then on. Their tall stems look best against a sunny wall or fence, which also shelters them from wind.
When To Start
First chance to plant
30 Days Before Last Frost
Last chance to plant
60 Days Before First Frost
When should you plant Hollyhocks?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Hollyhocks Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Hollyhocks Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Sow hollyhocks where they will flower next summer
30 days after your last frost· every year
Stake tall hollyhocks and pull off rusty lower leaves
365 days after your last frost· every year· optional
Did you water your hollyhocks seedlings today? Keep the top of the soil damp until they are up and growing.
About 1 days after you plant it
Hi there! Keep the soil lightly moist while your hollyhocks get going.
About 30 days after you plant it
Good growing! Hollyhocks often make big leaves the first year and tall flower spikes the next.
About 90 days after you plant it
Picking time may be here: check your hollyhocks.
About 365 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Hollyhocks's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 1
Prepare Your Space
0.5 cm
Seeding Depth
45 cm
Plant Spacing
60 cm
Row Spacing
1
Plants / Sq Ft
Vertical Growing
Yes: Trellis.
Method: Trellis.
Succession Planting
No.
Good Companions
Bad Companions
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Expect sprouts in 10–14 days
Growing Tips
- 1Give hollyhocks full sun, at least 6 hours a day.
- 2Plant them in well-drained soil with some compost mixed in.
- 3Water at the base, not on the leaves, whenever the top 2 to 3 cm of soil is dry.
- 4Spread a little compost around the plants each spring to feed them.
- 5Tie tall stems to a stake or fence in windy spots so they do not snap.
- 6Rust, which shows as orange spots under the leaves, is their main problem, so pull off spotted lower leaves and give plants room for air to flow.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
~365
Days to Maturity
200 cm
Mature Height
61 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
45 days
When to Pick
Cut blooms when fully open
How to Harvest
- 1Cut a few flower stalks for a vase when the bottom flowers have just opened.
- 2Cut off faded flowers along the stalk to keep it tidy, but leave some to make seed if you want new plants.
- 3After flowering, cut the stalks down to the leaves at the base.
- 4In fall, clear away old leaves and stems, since rust spends the winter on them.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
How to Save Seeds
Hollyhocks are pollinated by bees and cross with other hollyhocks nearby, so seedlings may come up in new colours. Hybrid F1 seeds will not grow true. Wait until the round, flat pods along the stalk turn brown and dry, then snip them into a paper bag. Break the pods open to free the flat, round seeds and let them dry for a few more days. Store them labelled in a cool, dark, dry place, where they keep for a few years.
Seed Production
Still have a question?
Ask your coach about your hollyhocks.
This page covers what we thought to write down. Your hollyhocks will do something it never mentions, and that is the day a coach beats a guide. Ask Coach Lumen one question right now, free, no account.
