is this hollyhock?

I've grown this plant from seed two years in a row from the pollinator mix from 'Going to Seed'.

I have it several places and most are small but the one in my hoop house (no plastic cover, just shade cloth) has larger leaves...6" or so.
The one in a pot is smaller and not as deep green as the one in the bed and the ones in the garden soil are smaller yet.
We've already had a couple frosts and freezes so I doubt there's time for it to bloom.

If it's a hollyhock should I protect a little for the winter?

I think they are biannuals and bloom the second year?

I haven't found any the second year but lots  of things get lost in our gardens....

any ideas?

Looks like hollyhock to me Judith - one of my favourite flowers! They used to seed themselves in the gap between our drive and next door's when I was little, and we used to play dollies with the flowers.
I think they can be short lived perennials depending on your climate. I gather they are hardy to zone 3, but may die back to the roots and will benefit from a mulch to protect the roots overwinter.

IYes, they are. I have hollyhock volunteers too and they are not harmed by the 20F hard freeze last week. If the winter is mild, they will probably stay green throughout with some leave mulch. Last plant I had bloomed for the next 2-3 years.

Have you been to Santa Fe? Hollyhocks are very popular in landscaping there. The view of tall flower stalks standing against the colorful adobe walls are so stunning. Somehow my plants never grow that big, could be a variety or soil issue.

thanks Nancy and May both for confirmation!

I love hollyhocks and always forget to get seed for them  so this is a nice surprise..

I'll stake these to remind myself to look for them in the spring.

Hollyhock will grow back year after year even in cold climates. And seeds are very easy to collect and grow.
From 2 in pots a few years ago we now have them growing everywhere.
This is from seeds just scattered:

Thom Bri wrote:Hollyhock will grow back year after year even in cold climates. And seeds are very easy to collect and grow.
From 2 in pots a few years ago we now have them growing everywhere.
This is from seeds just scattered:

Thom,

That looks a lot like Malva sylvestris, which bloomed for me for the first time this year—High Mallow.

Hollyhock tends to have more raceme-like inflorescences and woolier leaves, and the flowers are bigger and fuller-looking.

Fortunately Mallow appears to be the better for eating… I had a stint of eating hollyhock leaves and don’t think I’m going back. On the other hand I could eat mallows every day happily.

M Ljin wrote:

Thom Bri wrote:Hollyhock will grow back year after year even in cold climates. And seeds are very easy to collect and grow.
From 2 in pots a few years ago we now have them growing everywhere.
This is from seeds just scattered:

Thom,

That looks a lot like Malva sylvestris, which bloomed for me for the first time this year—High Mallow.

Hollyhock tends to have more raceme-like inflorescences and woolier leaves, and the flowers are bigger and fuller-looking.

Fortunately Mallow appears to be the better for eating… I had a stint of eating hollyhock leaves and don’t think I’m going back. On the other hand I could eat mallows every day happily.

You are right. The label on the pot said 'French Hollyhock' which is a kind of mallow. Regular hollyhock is a different kind of mallow, closely related. We have had both and both are easy to grow and cold-tolerant.

Mallows are wonderful eating, and one of the few edible weeds that kept growing and spreading in my Bulgarian garden this summer despite the severe drought. The Bulgarian plants had far smaller and less fleshy leaves than the huge ones in my UK garden, but were still very much appreciated. I've been scattering the seeds all over!

Jane Mulberry wrote:Mallows are wonderful eating, and one of the few edible weeds that kept growing and spreading in my Bulgarian garden this summer despite the severe drought. The Bulgarian plants had far smaller and less fleshy leaves than the huge ones in my UK garden, but were still very much appreciated. I've been scattering the seeds all over!

I pick the occasional leaf and eat it right there, but have not tried anything more. The whole plant is supposed to be edible and nutritious. There are quite a few edible 'weeds' that I'll eat a leaf of as I walk around the gardens. Mallow is one of the better ones. Wild mallow is one of the toughest weeds in my garden. I like seeing it, tiny pretty flowers and I imagine it's good for the soil.

I find they get tough quite early in my dry hot Bulgarian garden, and so like many wild greens I prefer the texture cooked to raw. But unlike so many other wild greens they never get bitter.