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Althaea cannabina | palm-leaf marshmallow


ARCHIVED PLANT. This page serves as reference only. We are no longer propagating this plant.


*We had trouble with rust on this species in 2024. Holding until fall 2025 to see if the newest batch has better resistance. 

Palm-leaf marshmallow or hemp-leaved hollyhock is a tough, tall, yet airy beauty. Small rosy pink flowers hover above stiff stems all summer long. Though tall, this plant rarely needs staking.

Easy to grow in moist soil conditions in full sun.

PLEASE NOTE:
This plant is NOT cannabis (Cannabis sativa), nor is it related to it. The specific epithet cannabina means "hemp-like" and refers only to the shape of the leaves.

Fun Fact: The sturdy stems produce a long, strong fiber that is used to make paper and textiles.

Zones: 3 to 10
Family: Malvaceae
Type: Perennial
Height: 48 to 72 in.
Spread: 18 to 24 in.
Exposure: full sun
Soil Conditions: average
Bloom Time: July to September
Bloom Color: lavender-rose with a darker eye

Special Characteristics
  • See-through plant
  • Architectural
image credits

Image 1 (bloom) Hectonichus, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Image 2 (form) peganum from Small Dole, England, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Image 3 (foliage) Hardyplants, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Althaea cannabina pink bloom
Althaea cannabina full form in bloom
Althaea cannabina foliage
Althaea cannabina seedling at The Old Dairy NurseryAlthaea cannabina seedling at The Old Dairy Nursery

view this plant in our gardens:

Mother Bed I | 2024

seedling image

Althaea cannabina | palm-leaf marshmallow

We are slowly creating a seedling image library to help make weeding easier.
Althaea cannabina seedling at The Old Dairy NurseryAlthaea cannabina seedling at The Old Dairy Nursery