| General Description | Genus name is the Latin name from the Greek word alkaia for a kind of mallow. |
| Shape | Columnar and upright. |
| Landscape | Flower borders/beds, wall-side borders, cottages and informal gardens. |
| Propagation | Seed. Sown in gentle hear in mid-winter or in-situ in spring. |
| Cultivation | Full sun and partial-shade. Well-drained, chalk, sand or loam with a neutral, acid or alkaline pH. |
| Pests | Slugs, caterpillars and flea beetles when young growth. Susceptible to rust, leaf spot and anthracnose. Spider mites and Japanese beetles can be a problem. |
| Notable Specimens | Kincarden, Ontario, Canada. |
| Leaf Description | Large, heart-shaped leaves that have 3 - 7 lobes and gets progressively smaller towards the top of the spire. Rigid, towering spikes or spires that reach a height of 1 - 2.5 m tall. |
| Flower Description | Showy funnel-shapped flowers. Tall and erect racemes in summer. 10 - 12 cm in diameter, outward-facing, single flowers. |
| Colour Description | Flowers are a purplish-pink, reddish-white or yellow in colour. The leaves are green in colour. |
| Texture Description | The leaves are rough in texture. |
