Is the Queeny Yellow Hollyhock a Dwarf?

Characteristics

• Queeny yellow hollyhocks have strong, upright stems that carry large, fluffy blooms above the foliage from June through August. They are bushy, multistemmed plants with large, green leaves that look fresh all season. If seeds are sown in February or March, Queeny will bloom the first year. Hummingbirds are attracted by the flowers, but deer tend to leave hollyhocks alone.

Uses

• Queeny hollyhocks make long-lasting cut flowers because of their strong stems. Their short stature makes them a good choice for mixing with colorful annuals in containers and window boxes for summer plantings, and they also do well as bedding plants in flower borders, providing a vertical accent and pastel colors.

Care

• Plant Queeny hollyhocks in full sun and water them regularly. Prune off the flowering spike when the flowers have faded but let the rest of the plant go dormant in late fall. Hollyhocks are susceptible to rust, a fungus characterized by powdery orange lesions on the undersides of leaves and on stems. If you have had trouble with fungus diseases in the past, practice a preventive spray program. Begin spraying leaves and stems with fungicide in early spring, before disease appears. Use an organic spray containing copper or sulfur or a synthetic spray such as Funginex.

Considerations

• Although it is a dwarf hollyhock, Queeny yellow may need to be staked if it will be subject to strong winds that could snap its stalks. If hollyhocks' self-seeding tendency is a worry, surround the plant with six layers of newspaper covered with 2 inches of mulch, such as bark chips, dry grass clippings, pine needles or wood shavings, to prevent seeding. Hollyhocks are one plant that is tolerant of the toxin juglone, which is emitted by the roots of black walnut trees, so they can be planted nearby without fear.