Hollyhocks

I hope someone can answer this. Are Hollyhocks perennials or biennals? I've heard the latter, but several houses here have them growing semi-wild and they return year after year-they are sprouting from the same knarled old plant, not self seeding. I have a couple in the garden which were planted last year and are sprouting now.

Secondly, if I sow seeds now, will they bloom this year or will it be next year?

 

Norfolk boy, says this years seed = 2010 flowers

 

So....small plants for sale now should bloom this year? And are they perennials?

 

As far as I am aware Aaron, they are both-some are biennials and some are perennials.

 

:dh:
I'm determined to have some. They're so hardy here-the ones in other gardens grow out of cracks in pavements and in any old soil.

 

Such outstanding flowers-I got ONE once self seeding in my garden, I waited for the allegedly bounty of self seeders to show their faces the following year and zip-not a whisper so I went out and seeded like mad last year-silly bu**er that I am I also did the same with foxgloves and by jove I can see I will have plenty of the those judging by the clusters forming. Note to self-be more cautious with throwing seeds about in the garden.

 

Self seeding doesn't work for me :(

 

I`ll send you some babies in a moss roll if they turn out any good-or make the fatal error of turning up in amongst my peonies!

 

Mine are perennial, they are also a perenial pain in the but with rust! I only have one left as I have pulled the others out in annoyance - you have just reminded me to start spraying it!

 

I imagine it will therefore be wise to give them a good soaking with bordeau mix then or do you use something particularly effective Ellie?

 

I have grown a lot of Hollyhocks this year, all have flowered and now have the large "bulb" at the base of the flower which is filled with a ring of seeds. All except one plant. The flowers have finished but, instead of the large seed bulb, they have a small round brown "dough-nut" about 8mm across. It is exactly the same as the large seed rings - lots of little segmented seeds making the ring but totally different in that these rings are solid. I planted one of the rings and half a dozen plants have sprouted from it, so they are obviously meant to be like this. Is there a different strand of Hollyhocks which these belong to?

 

The bees love Hollyhocks so I sowed the seeds in spring, on the packet it said they would flower next year...........well they have flowered this year. I have two in pots around 2ft tall, ready to plant out next spring.