Alcea setosa

Alcea setosa, commonly known as the bristly hollyhock, is a herbaceous plant in the mallow family characterized by its bristly foliage and large, showy pink flowers. It develops a basal rosette of leaves in winter and produces a tall flowering stem in spring before the above-ground parts wither in summer.

It is native to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant, with a natural range that includes Crete, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and Jordan.

It is primarily grown as an ornamental plant in gardens for its attractive, numerous pink blooms. Additionally, the flower buds are traditionally harvested and eaten either raw or cooked.

In regional folk medicine, the plant's extracted liquid is traditionally applied to soothe burns, injuries, and inflammation. The flower buds are also used in traditional remedies for respiratory and airway ailments.