Medicinal Herb InfoA reference archive of plants and their traditions
Not medical advice. This site documents how plants have been described and used historically. It is a botanical and folklore reference, not guidance for treating illness, and it carries no dosing instructions. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist before using any plant medicinally — herbs interact with medication and some are toxic.

Home › Herb index › Hollyhock

Hollyhock

Botanical reference entry

On this page

Parts Usually Used

Flowers

Description of Plant(s) and Culture

Hollyhock is a tall, usually biennial plant with palmately lobed leaves, a hairy stem, and large, showy flowers of various colors in elongated spikes. The stem bears both leaves and flowers along its length. Blooms from July to September.

Where Found

Native to India and southern Europe but widely cultivated as a garden plant for its flowers.

Medicinal Properties

Demulcent, diuretic, emollient

Legends, Myths and Stories

The fresh flowers were considered a culinary delicacy in old China. The dried flowers were much used as a tea by women in England and New England settlements. Every household had its stand of hollyhock plants, however, it is neglected in most modern gardens.

Uses

Historically, herbalists administered a tea prepared from hollyhock flowers for oral and throat inflammation. Traditional practitioners also employed fomentations or vapor baths of the tea for earaches. Topically, poultices were applied to bee and wasp stings, as well as to assist in drawing out thorns and splinters. Additionally, the flowers were utilized as an ingredient in various cosmetic preparations.

Bibliography

American Folk Medicine , by Clarence Meyer, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, 1973 The Complete Medicinal Herbal , by Penelope Ody, Dorling Kindersley, Inc, 232 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, First American Edition, copyright 1993 The Herbalist Almanac , by Clarence Meyer, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, copyright 1988, fifth printing, 1994 The Herb Book , by John Lust, Bantam Books, 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY.

copyright 1974. , 15 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10023 Become a Patron! Recent Posts Pumpkins Could Help Control Glycemic Levels for Diabetics Studies Show That Fermented Foods Build Healthy Gut Microbiome Recent Research Shows That Psilocybin Mushrooms May Be Effective in Treating Major, Prolonged Depression A Common Plant That Helps Fight MRSA and Repels Mosquitoes and Ticks Eating Peppers Could Hold the Key to Parkinson’s Prevention