Alcea "Alcea" species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including "Bucculatrix quadrigemina" and "Vanessa cardui", the painted lady. The mallow flea beetle ("Podagrica fuscicornis") is a pest that makes tiny holes in the leaves. Cutworms, aphids, and capsid bugs use the plant as a food source in hotter and drier conditions. A number of weevils use "A. rosea" as their host plant, including "Rhopalapion longirostre", "Alocentron curvirostre", and "Aspidapion validum". The plants are also susceptible to the pathogenic fungus "Puccinia malvacearum", the hollyhock rust. A hollyhock flower, known in Japan as , was incorporated into
Atriplex rosea are borne in clusters or spikelike inflorescences. Atriplex rosea Atriplex rosea is a species of saltbush known by the common names tumbling saltbush, red orach, redscale and tumbling orach (; also spelled orache). It is native to Eurasia but it is widespread elsewhere as an introduced species. This is an annual herb with erect, hairless stems growing up to 1.5 meters, 4.5 feet, in height. The leaves are green to red in color, oval to triangular to lance-shaped, and with edges which are smooth to wavy. Each leaf has three prominent veins and is up to 6 centimeters long and