No, you cannot truly grow me from a stem cutting in the way you might a rose or a geranium. My biological blueprint, that of a biennial or short-lived perennial, is not designed for successful propagation through this method. While a cutting might initially seem to take root, it will almost certainly fail to develop into the robust, flowering specimen you desire. My central taproot is the key to my survival and strength, and a cutting simply cannot replicate this complex structure.
My entire existence is anchored by a deep, sturdy taproot. This is not a mere anchoring system; it is my primary storage organ for water and nutrients, allowing me to survive drought conditions and support my towering flower spikes. When you take a softwood stem cutting from me, you are severing all connection to this vital organ. The small, fibrous roots that may eventually form from the cutting's base are incapable of replacing the function of a genetically programmed taproot. The resulting plant would be weak, unstable, and highly susceptible to environmental stress, ultimately leading to its demise before it could ever flower.
To successfully create new versions of me, you must work with my natural reproductive strategies.
This is how I am designed to multiply. Each of my flowers, once pollinated, produces a seed pod (a schizocarp) containing dozens of future plants. Sowing my seeds is the most reliable and effective way to grow new hollyhocks. You can collect seeds in late summer and either sow them directly in the garden or start them indoors. Many of my varieties will readily self-sow, dropping seeds that germinate on their own the following spring, ensuring my continued presence in the garden for years to come.
While not as common as growing from seed, you can propagate me by division, but this must be done with great care and only to mature, established plants. This process involves carefully digging up my entire root system and using a sharp, sterile knife to divide the crown and taproot into sections, ensuring each section has several healthy growth eyes or shoots. This is a high-stress operation for me, as damaging my taproot can be fatal. It is best performed in early spring or fall when I am not in active bloom and the weather is cooler, giving me time to recover.
The belief that I can be grown from cuttings may stem from attempts with other, more amenable plants. Some gardeners might mistake the formation of small offsets or "pups" at my base for viable cutting material. While these can sometimes be carefully removed with a portion of root attached (a form of division), they are not traditional stem cuttings. A stem placed in water or soil without this root tissue will not succeed.
