Summer is a beautiful season when some flowers bloom, including hollyhocks. The flowers are identified by its showy colorful flowers growing along one stem.
Hollyhocks are quite common in Beijing during summer, when the weather is hot and dry. Known as "Shu Kui" in Chinese and also for its drought-resistant nature, the hollyhock is a popular ornament plant in the country.
The plant attracts butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. The plant is also used as a traditional Chinese medicine to treat various diseases.
Here are some photos of lovely hollyhocks taken in Beijing in late June. You can always encounter the plant at a park or along the roads.
Hollyhocks. Ding Qian/CGTN
Hollyhocks are actually edible, which can be added to salads. Ding Qian/CGTN
The plant has hairy leaves. Ding Qian/CGTN
Hollyhocks can do well in fun sun. Ding Qian/CGTN
Hollyhocks bloom from mid summer to early autumn. Ding Qian/CGTN
About 'City of Wild'
Nature is not limited to faraway mountains and oceans, it also exists in urban cities and our daily lives. In the series, "City of Wild," CGTN not only unfolds a world of wildlife you were probably not aware of, but also highlights the theme of this year's CBD COP 15: Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth.
For more:
City of wild: The cute sparrows in Beijing
City of wild: Inconspicuous birds with really beautiful melodies
City of Wild: Lovely hoopoes in Beijing
City of wild: Milu deer cool off from the Beijing summer
City of Wild: A pair of spotted doves making home in downtown Beijing
City of Wild: Vigilant white-cheeked starlings in Beijing
(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at nature@cgtn.com.)