About
Alcea rosea 'Purple Rain' is a biennial or short-lived perennial that can reach heights of over 2 meters. It features shallowly lobed, rounded foliage and tall, upright spikes adorned with wide, funnel-shaped blooms measuring up to 10 centimeters in diameter. The flowers display a rich plum-purple hue.
About the genus
Alcea consists of sturdy biennials or short-lived perennials characterized by large, funnel-shaped blooms arranged in tall, upright racemes during the summer months.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H5
Plant details
- Plant type
- Annual Biennial, Herbaceous Perennial
- Habit
- Clump forming, Columnar upright
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 1.5-2.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 1-2 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Thrives in well-drained, moderately fertile soil in full sun. Will need support on windy sites, see perennials: staking
- Pruning
- Cut back dead foliage after flowering. Pull out and discard basal leaves once flowering. Sowing early and growing as first year flowering annuals or biennials and refreshing plants regularly can help limit the spread of rust
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed sown early with gentle bottom heat in mid-to-late winter or in-situ in spring
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to cutworms and slugs on young growth, and to capsid bugs, aphids and mallow flea beetles
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to hollyhock rust