Is Hollyhock deer resistant?
Alcea sp.
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
About Hollyhock
Usually behaves as a biennial or short-lived perennial and keeps going by self-sowing. Hollyhock rust is close to inevitable: orange pustules under the leaves, spreading upward. Remove affected leaves, water at the base, and expect to replace plants regularly.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 18 to 24 in apart
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Maintenance
- High
Deer-resistant alternatives to Hollyhock
Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If Hollyhock keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.
- Bearded IrisIris germanicaZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- Butter and EggsLinaria vulgarisZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- CatmintNepeta x faasseniiZones 3–8Rarely damaged
- CinquefoilPotentilla sp.Zones 3–8, genus rangeRarely damaged
- Common TansyTanacetum vulgareZones 3–8Rarely damaged
- False IndigoBaptisia australisZones 3–9Rarely damaged
Similar to Hollyhock
Other perennials with the same deer rating.
- AvensGeum sp.Zones 3–8, genus rangeOccasionally damaged
- Balloon FlowerPlatycodon grandiflorusZones 3–8Occasionally damaged
- BellflowerCampanula glomerataZones 3–8Occasionally damaged
- Blanket FlowerGaillardia sp.Zones 3–10, genus rangeOccasionally damaged
- Bloody CranesbillGeranium sanguineumZones 3–9Occasionally damaged
- Cambridge GeraniumGeranium x cantabrigienseZones 4–8Occasionally damaged
Protecting Hollyhock
Whether this survives comes down to local pressure, so it is worth knowing the options before it gets browsed rather than after.
- How tall a deer fence needs to beEight feet, and six is the most common expensive mistake in deer fencing.
- Repellent that actually worksThe egg-based recipe that reproduces the active ingredient in the commercial sprays that win university trials.
- Check it is actually deerDeer tear and leave a ragged stub. A clean 45-degree cut is rabbits, and slug holes get blamed on deer constantly.
Where Hollyhock grows
Hardy across most of these 50 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- New York
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Texas
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
Browse from here
Every list Hollyhock belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Hollyhock
- Is Hollyhock deer resistant?
- Hollyhock (Alcea sp.) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Hollyhock grow in?
- Hollyhock is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat. That is the range across the genus, so a named species or cultivar may be narrower.
- Does Hollyhock grow in shade?
- No. Hollyhock wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.