by 
The Curious Bag
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<h4 class="dechead">On One Hand: Plant Hollyhock Seeds in Late Spring
Hollyhock (Alcea rosea) is a biennial. Seeds can be planted indoors in the winter for summer bloom or outdoors in early spring for blooms the following year. Hollyhock will go to seed and self-seed easily. Once established, hollyhocks will continue to seed themselves each year.
On the Other: Purchase Plants for Faster Bloom
An alternative to sowing seeds is purchasing established plants. Buy plants from nursery centers and mail-order sources for spring planting and summer blooms. Hollyhock plants will flower, go to seed the first year, and then reseed themselves, providing new plants the following spring.
Bottom Line
Whether hollyhocks are sown as seeds indoors in the winter, outside in the spring or purchased as plants ready to bloom, this old-fashioned biennial will self-sow year after year.
Source:
"Garden Primer;" Barbara Damrosch; 1988
"Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Perennials;" Ellen Phillips & C. Colston Burrell; 1993
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