Hollyhock – Seeds

I tend to think that the poor Hollyhock has been forgotten in the world of herbal medicine.
As an herb we substitute hollyhock for it’s cousin marshmallow.
The properties are so similar but it has the advantage to the gardener of not requiring anywhere near the same amount of water to keep it robust and effective.

Sow Hollyhock seed where you want it to grow as it does not like being moved.
In the same way that Verbascum and Evening Primrose require you to think ahead, you must remember that these plants are not always annuals and you will need to have them in position for maybe, several seasons before they burst into glorious flower.

The mucilage bearing roots are the greatest feature (medicinally) of Hollyhock. We use it, cold infused, (to extract the mucilage but not the starch) for stomach ache or to loosen tight, raspy coughs. Pounding the dry root to powder and blending it into an ointment base is a great soothing hand and foot cream.