Have your hollyhocks ever had this color combination?

16 years ago

After seeing some pictures of some pretty hollyhocks, I went back to a local Amish garden center today to see if their potted hollyhocks had started to bloom. I wanted to select some specific colors. They were huge, 4 1/2' - 5' tall already, loaded with buds, and some were blooming. I saw a pink one I wanted, but when I got the pot out from the group I found that it had a rosy red blooming on another stem, and also a creamy peach, etc. It looks like they are coming from one base/root, not several separate plants in one pot. Is this possible? I asked the girl at the register, and she said that they noticed the mixed colors in each pot and questioned it also. She said this is the first year they sold them, but thought they would have a single color to each pot. The hollyhock name is Summer Carnival Mix. I thought the mix might mean that you would not know what color you have until it blooms, not a mix of colors on one plant. Each pot has at least 5 stems.

Thank you for any suggestions you might care to give.

Jane

PS: What could I plant at the front of these plants to hide the bare stems if they develope, as I heard they might?

Featured Answer

hybridsage

16 years ago

janepa:
Sorry to say But...
The plants you purchased are a mix of colors. Alcea "Summer
Carnival Mix" has Pink,Rose,Yellow & White. It is coming from several plants not one plant. I work at a retail Nursery many people will comment about a plant in one
container that has 2 -3 different colors(Same plant). They
put more than one seed in a pot and get multiple colors.
Depends on the grower but they can put 3 different cuttings
or seed in the same pot.
Art

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Comments (9)

susaninnorthga
16 years ago
I can't get over this. I was just getting on this forum to post a question about the very same thing. I bought a pot of the same Hollyhock, the carnival mix, and noticed that the second stalk started blooming a different color. I went out and checked and it is probably the answer, it must be two different plants. The first one was a beautiful semi-double creamy yellow with a blush pink center, and second stalk is blooming with a pure white bloom with a yellowish center.
Thanks,
Susan.
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keriann_lakegeneva
16 years ago
To answer your other question...

I plant zinnias and Dahlias in-front of mine to hide the stalks.

Mine do not get bare, per-say, but mine to not bloom 2' and under so the dahlias and zinnias get their time to shine!

Keriann~
janepa
Original Author
16 years ago
I understand about more than one seed in a pot, which would make additional plants. When the sales person at the garden center and I both did a little scratching at one of the other hollyhock plants the stems were in a cupped shape and looked like they came from one root system. I guess the only way to tell for sure is to get another one and take it apart. I planted my last three last evening and forgot to take a photo. I think Art is correct, and I don't think I have anything unique, but if they are second year plants, could it be possible that the plant last year was polinated by a busy bee that visited several colors of hollyhocks?

If I get another pot of the mixed colors I will definitely take a photo, and more than likely remove at least some of the soil to check deeper. I will let you know what I find.

Thank you. Jane
Ft Rich
6 years ago
Found this post while searching. I've had hollyhocks for quite a few years but never with two different colored blooms on the same stalk. Not on different stalk, like mentioned prior.

How unusual is this?
Tim Passey
6 years ago
My hollyhocks turned from peach to yellow blooms
Frank Rich
4 years ago
Frank Rich
4 years ago
Same stalk, different colored blooms
Geri Gordy
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
I have a single plant with 3 different color blooms. Last year I thought multiple seeds, but it came up this year with the exact same amount of stocks and again 3 different colors, 4 stocks white, 1 pinkish hue, and 1 yellow peach. I am convinced they can have multiple colors from 1 root.