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Herbaceous PerennialSynonym

Alcea 'Poetry'

shrubby alcalthaea 'Poetry'

An upright, deciduous perennial to around 1.5m tall with heart-shaped, toothed and lobed, softly hairy leaves. Spikes of double, cup-shaped, strong pink flowers with purple-pink centres are produced from summer into early autumn

Synonyms

Alcea 'Poetry'

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Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

1–1.5 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained, Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Malvaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Alcalthaea are bigeneric hybrids between Alcea and Althaea. They are tall, branching, short-lived perennials with hairy foliage and spires of pink, cream or yellow flowers
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Best in fertile, well-drained soil in a sunny, sheltered position. May need staking

Propagation

Propagate by softwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
City and courtyard gardens
Low Maintenance
Flower borders and beds
Wall side borders

Pruning

Cut down to ground once flowering is over

Pests

May be susceptible to mallow flea beetles or aphids

Diseases

May be susceptible to a rust

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