Alcea rosea
Nigra

Nothing quite prepares you for the gothic splendor of Alcea rosea ‘Nigra’. Towering spires carry satiny, single flowers so deeply chocolate-maroon that they read as black from a few steps away. Sunlight catches their wine-colored undertones, while the open centers invite bees to climb right in. Beside pale roses, apricot foxgloves, or silver foliage, the contrast is positively theatrical.

This statuesque hollyhock reaches roughly 6–8 feet tall, creating instant old-world architecture along fences, walls, and the backs of cottage borders. Although technically a biennial or short-lived perennial, it often self-sows where content, leaving future generations of mysterious dark flowers. The tall stems also make a dramatic seasonal screen without occupying much ground-level space.

Give ‘Nigra’ full sun, fertile well-drained soil, regular moisture during active growth, and good air circulation. Stake in exposed or windy sites before the stems become top-heavy. Removing spent flowers can extend the display; leaving several pods allows it to seed around. Keep irrigation off the foliage when practical and remove tired leaves to reduce rust pressure. Moody, romantic, and wonderfully vertical, it belongs wherever a garden could use a little antique drama. Meet more towering characters in our Hollyhock collection.

We guarantee that the plants we sell are healthy and viable at the time they leave our care.

If a plant arrives in substandard condition, please take clear photographs and contact us within 48 hours of delivery. To ensure eligibility under this guarantee, we strongly encourage you to open and unpack your shipment immediately upon delivery and inspect the plants thoroughly.

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Standard live-plant shipping to eligible destinations is $16.99 for 1–6 plants, $22.99 for 7–12, $28.99 for 13–18, $34.99 for 19–24, and $40.99 for 25–30. For 31 or more plants, shipping is 20% of the order value. Expedited shipping is priced separately at checkout.

(AL, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IN, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VT, VA, WV)
(list of states subject to change seasonally due to extreme heat or cold conditions)

We cannot ship Annie's Annuals plants to P.O. boxes or outside the continental U.S.

Individual plants are shipped in 4" pots and we ship in boxes of 4, 6, 8, or 12 plants per box.

For more details, read our full Ordering and Shipping Policies

Get your plants off to a strong start with our care guide.

Download the Plant Care Guide (PDF)