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Alcea Rosea ( pronounced ; al-SEE-uh
ROE-zee-uh, or AL-kee-uh ROZ-ee-uh and al-SEE-uh roe-Zay-uh.)
I made this picture at Phetchabun province - northern Thailand - at a garden.
(Nikon FM2, 105mm lens)
Rosemarie living in Southern California sent me a mail with the name.
Here
is her article about the flower.
At
first, when I saw the photo of the pink bloom, I thought it was a Rose of
Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus).
I have one of those & it did look like it,
but
I'd have to see the shape of the leaves better to be sure.
When taking a closer look at all the photos, the long racemes with blooms
give it away.
Those are definitely Alcea rosea (al-SEE-uh ROE-zee-uh); common name:
Hollyhock.
They are a hardy biennial, 2'-8' tall; Full sun, use in the back of
borders; Hardiness zones 1-11.
Rust & spider mites can be a serious problem.
The blooms can be single, semi-double or double in a variety of colors.
Velvety leaves and quaint cup-shaped flowers along tall, nodding spires bring a
pleasing nostalgic touch to one's garden.
They looked wonderful along the side of my house, but I had to stake every one
of them, they grew so tall!
Rosemarie in Southern California
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