Halo Cerise Hollyhock

Halo Cerise is a tall hollyhock with single cerise-pink flowers marked by a dark purple center halo. Its summer spires suit the back of a sunny border or a sheltered wall, where the upright stems can be seen without crowding shorter plants. ## Garden use and season The Royal Horticultural Society describes vivid pink flowers with dark purple centers, produced in summer; Thompson & Morgan lists the cultivar as a June–September flowering hardy perennial and a first-year flowering selection. The Halo name and current cultivar identity are corroborated by both sources. In practice, hollyhocks can behave as biennials or short-lived perennials, and can persist by self-seeding if seed is allowed to mature. See the [RHS cultivar profile](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/324876/alcea-rosea-halo-cerise-halo-series/details) and [Thompson & Morgan’s Halo Cerise listing](https://www.tandmwholesale.com/Hollyhock/AlceaHaloCerise). ## Siting and care Give it full sun and fertile, moist but well-drained soil. NC State Extension notes that hollyhocks tolerate light shade, grow several feet tall, and can suffer rust, leaf spot, and anthracnose; good airflow and a site protected from strong wind help tall stems. The flowers support pollinators, and the vertical stems provide useful background color in cottage-style and mixed borders. ## Maintenance Water during establishment and extended dry weather. Stake exposed stems when needed, remove badly diseased leaves, and cut down spent stems after flowering; leave some seed heads if self-sowing is desired.