Hollyhock / Stockrose

When I moved to this street exactly a year ago, I was greeted by these enormous, colourful flowers. I love how they are allowed to grow semi-wild in thin earth verges either side of the pavement.

Just in the last week they have suddenly sprung up again, so I thought I should frame them before I leave.

I’m pretty sure they are common hollyhock, which was imported into Europe from southwestern China over 500 years ago.

As well as their height, another striking feature is their range of colours - these are pink and white, others on the street are dark red, and they come in yellow and orange too - apparently with the darker liking sandy soils, the lighter preferring clay. They certainly attract butterflies, and hummingbirds are said to like them too!

Perhaps tellingly for the year I’ve just had in their company, hollyhock is used in herbal medicine as both a laxative and an emollient…