Sidalcea malviflora
‘Stark’s Hybrids’
STARK’S HYBRIDS
MINI HOLLYHOCKS
$5.00 AUD
Availability: In stock
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Sidalcea malviflora ‘Stark’s Hybrids’
STARK’S HYBRIDS MINI HOLLYHOCKS
Sidalcea malviflora ‘Stark’s Hybrids’ include a range of lovely, jewel-like colours.
With larger booms than normal Sidalcea, otherwise known as Mini Hollyhocks.
Range of colours through pinks, white, violets & rose-purple
Spires of creamy, disc-like flowers are stacked up long, straight stems to about 80-90cm. high.
With the blooms ranging through pinks, white, violet and rose-purple.
Stark’s Hybrids are renowned for their exquisite colours, as well as enhanced blooming through summer and autumn, with a longer flowering season than usual Sidalcea.
Miniature Hollyhocks with many stems per clump
Sidalcea are in fact distant cousins of Hollyhocks (Alcea); but they are easier to grow, more resistant to wind and disease, and utterly charming.
While Sidalcea ‘Stark’s Hybrids’ are remarkable for the number of flower stems each clump can produce.
With the flower stems soaring up cleanly from a neat basal clump of perennial foliage, always attractive.
A Mini-Hollyhock to fit any garden
Charming Sidalcea malviflora ‘Stark’s Hybrids’ are equally as hardy and easy to grow as the well known and much bigger Hollyhocks.
But without the threat of rust disease.
So this is a mini Hollyhock that will fit happily into any low maintenance or small garden.
Spires for florists
‘Stark’s Hybrids’ provide lovely flower spires for florists during summer.
Stems of blooms last well in a vase
Easy grower needs little attention
Plant Sidalcea malviflora ‘Stark’s Hybrids’ in Full Sun to Part Shade.
They are very unfussy wherever, undemanding, and not water-thirsty plants.
Though they do ask for well-drained soil, purring in soils of all types as long as they are not waterlogged.
‘Stark’s Hybrids’ are frost hardy, tolerating frost down to approx. -10C.
Well acquainted with heat
Sidalcea are native to Oregon, California and northern Mexico, so they are also well acquainted with heat.
Low maintenance
‘Stark’s Hybrids’ are low maintenance plants, with an annual trim of the spent flower stems being the only real work to do. Other than giving a light dose of fertilizer in spring and summer to encourage even more blooms, but do not overdo it.
Bees revel in Sidalcea flowers
Bees, insect pollinators and native honey-eating birds find the nectar rich flowers a great boon during summer.
Hardy, evergreen perennial clump with spires stacked with blooms 80-90cm. High, x 50cm. Wide evergreen, low clump of prettily maple-shaped leaves.
SEED SOWING ADVICE: Sidalcea malviflora ‘Stark’s Hybrids’
Seeds of Sidalcea malviflora ‘Stark’s Hybrids’ are best sown indoors during autumn, winter & early spring.
Sow indoors for quick & early plants: First scatter the seed on the surface of good quality potting mix.
Then pat the seeds gently to the surface of the mix to ensure good contact.
Now cover the seeds with approx. 3mm of sieved mix.
Then thoroughly moisten the mix by standing the punnet in a shallow water bath.
And allow the moisture to percolate up to the surface from below.
Cover the punnet with a clear plastic lid to help maintain moisture.
Now place the covered punnet in a warm position (not in direct sunlight) for 2-4 weeks.
You can use a heat mat if you have one, and this helps maintain optimum temperatures.
Temperatures of 18-22°C are best at this stage to prepare the seeds for germination.
And continue to keep moist by misting the surface from a spray water bottle.
Give them a chill
After 2-4 weeks of moist warmth, wrap the moist punnet in cling-wrap and place in the fridge (not freezer) for a further 4-6 weeks. So the seeds think they have had winter.
Now remove the punnet from the fridge, unwrap, and make sure it is moist.
And place the punnet in a cool, well-lit place for seed germination.
Temperatures of 10-12°C after the chill, are best for optimum and rapid germination.
Seedlings begin to emerge in approx. 14 days, though some seeds may emerge later. This is a natural strategy for this plant to hedge bets for the seedlings. So do not discard the punnet.
Remove the clear cover as soon as germination begins and grow the seedings on ready to plant in the garden.
Seed Count: 30 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count and give a generous serve).
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