Spring Celebrities Purple Hollyhock

Spring Celebrities Purple is a compact hollyhock with upright stems, basal branching, and large violet double to semi-double flowers. Takii’s series is intended to flower in its first year and can continue for up to three months when conditions are favorable. ## Form and flowering This dwarf selection is typically about 24–32 inches tall, with a fuller multi-stemmed habit than traditional hollyhocks. Takii Europe identifies Purple as a violet-flowered member of the Spring Celebrities series and describes flowering from May until frost in favorable conditions. Its vertical flower spikes bring seasonal color to cottage borders, sunny beds, and large containers. ## Placement and growing Choose a sunny site with moderately fertile, well-drained soil. Give the basal branches room and maintain airflow around leaves; hollyhocks are susceptible to rust, which can cause orange spots and early leaf loss. The broad species habit may be biennial or short-lived perennial, while Spring Celebrities is marketed as a first-year flowering crop. ## Maintenance Water during dry spells and avoid crowding plants. Remove rust-infected leaves and clear dead foliage after flowering. The [Royal Horticultural Society](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/344132/alcea-rosea-spring-celebrities-pink-spring-celebrities-series-d/details) notes rust susceptibility in a sister cultivar, and [Utah State University Extension](https://extension.usu.edu/planthealth/ipm/ornamental-pest-guide/diseases/rusts) recommends spacing plants and removing infected material. See [Takii Europe’s Purple profile](https://takii.eu/pl/produkty/alce-rose-spring-cel-purple/) and the [American Takii series catalog](https://www.takiiseed.com/flower/spring-celebrities/).