About
Althaea officinalis is a perennial herb that thrives in its native environment. It features velvety, grey-green foliage and stems. From mid-summer to early autumn, it produces clusters of delicate, saucer-shaped flowers in shades of lilac-pink, which rise on elongated stems.
About the genus
Althaea consists of annuals and perennials characterized by robust, slender stems and large, lobed leaves. From summer through autumn, they bear clusters of small flowers that range in color from pink to bluish-purple, each featuring five petals.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained, Poorly-drained, Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, East-facing, North-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H6
Plant details
- Plant type
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Habit
- Bushy
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 1.5-2.5 metres
- Spread
- 1-1.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens
- Native to
- Europe
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Easy to grow and tolerates a wide range of conditions, though does best in fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full sun
- Pruning
- Cut down to ground once flowering is over
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed sown in mid-summer
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to flea beetles
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to a rust