The summer hollyhocks bloom in especially vivid colors.
Tips
memory
蜀 (Shǔ) is the classical name for Sichuan, where the flower was first cultivated in China; 葵 (kuí) is the family name for mallows (also in 向日葵 xiàngrìkuí 'sunflower'). So 蜀葵 = 'Sichuan mallow' — a literal pointer to where the species spread from.
culture
Hollyhocks have been Chinese garden staples for over 1,500 years — they appear in Tang poetry and Song-dynasty silk paintings as a symbol of summer's late peak. They're often planted along fences because the tall stalks (up to 3m) need support.
