Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) are stately garden plants known for their impressive height and showy, colorful blooms, which typically appear in their second year as biennials or short-lived perennials. The towering flower stalks bring a classic cottage garden feel to a landscape. However, their visibility often makes them a target for common garden herbivores. Understanding the specific feeding habits of these pests can help determine the actual risk to hollyhocks.
Hollyhocks and Deer: Assessing the Risk
Hollyhocks are generally not the first choice on a deer’s menu and are often classified as “seldom severely damaged.” This avoidance is attributed to the plant’s texture, as the leaves and stems are covered in a fine, coarse hair known as pubescence. Deer prefer smooth, tender foliage, and the fuzzy surface of hollyhocks can be irritating to their palates.
The plant’s lack of strong chemical defenses, such as alkaloids or tannins, means that deer occasionally browse them despite the texture. Hollyhocks are most vulnerable when other, more palatable food sources are scarce, such as during late winter or severe drought. Young, tender growth and flower buds may also be sampled by opportunistic or inexperienced deer.
Damage from deer browsing is typically characterized by a ragged, torn appearance on the leaves or stems, as they lack upper incisor teeth. They must press the plant material against a hard upper palate and jerk their heads to tear the tissue free. Although a mature plant may survive moderate browsing, repeated attacks can weaken the plant and prevent the biennial from setting seed for the next generation.
Hollyhocks and Rabbits: Assessing the Risk
Rabbits pose a more significant and consistent threat to hollyhocks than deer, especially to plants in their early stages of growth. Unlike deer, which browse higher up, rabbits are ground-level feeders that use sharp incisors to make a clean, clipped cut on stems. This behavior means young seedlings or new spring shoots are particularly vulnerable to being eaten down to the ground.
The plant’s leaves and stems are palatable and somewhat nutritious for rabbits, making the hollyhock a desirable food source when easily accessible. Rabbits are drawn to the tender new growth that emerges early in the season before the plant’s stalks and leaves develop their full coarse texture. A rabbit can quickly consume a small, newly transplanted hollyhock within a single evening.
Mature plants are generally more resistant, as the stems become woody and less appealing to chew. However, rabbits may still target lower leaves and flowers that are within easy reach, approximately 18 to 24 inches from the ground. The threat level is often higher in areas with dense rabbit populations or where natural food is limited.
Implementing Effective Protection Strategies
Physical Barriers
When hollyhocks become a target, gardeners should implement physical barriers. For young plants, creating a temporary cage using fine-mesh chicken wire or hardware cloth is highly effective. The wire cylinder should be at least two feet high and secured into the soil to prevent rabbits from burrowing underneath. For area protection against rabbits, low-profile fencing made of wire mesh can be installed. This barrier needs to be at least 24 inches high and bent outward at the bottom to form an underground “L” shape, which discourages digging.
Protecting against deer requires much taller fencing, ideally six to eight feet high. Alternatively, position the plants close to the home or frequently used patios, where human activity deters them.
Chemical Deterrents
Chemical deterrents utilize taste or odor to discourage feeding. Repellents often contain ingredients like putrescent egg solids or capsaicin, which are unappealing to herbivores. These sprays must be applied thoroughly to all vulnerable plant surfaces and reapplied regularly, especially after rainfall or as new growth emerges.
Cultural Controls
Cultural controls, such as companion planting and garden maintenance, can also reduce vulnerability. Planting strongly aromatic herbs like rosemary or sage nearby may help mask the hollyhock’s scent. Keeping the area free of tall weeds and debris removes potential hiding places for rabbits, encouraging them to move elsewhere.