A giant plant grown in a Suffolk garden is shooting towards claiming a place in the record books.

East Anglian Daily Times: Andrew Kernahan's garden contains possibly the tallest hollyhock in Britain. It stands at 4.953m. Pictured is gardener Zara Read (correct spelling).Andrew Kernahan's garden contains possibly the tallest hollyhock in Britain. It stands at 4.953m. Pictured is gardener Zara Read (correct spelling).

The enormous hollyhock has grown taller than the home of Andrew Kernahan, in Melton, near Woodbridge, where Zara Read tends the garden twice a week.

It started as a shrub four years ago, but has since shot up to almost 17 feet (5.164 metres) – and it shows no sign of slowing down before the dormant season.

Mr Kernahan, 76, said: “I’ve no idea how it came to be so tall. There’s no secret.

“We water it a couple of times a week. It’s in a sunny spot against the building and just keeps going up.”

The flowering plant has latched onto a ladder, which was leant against the wall to help keep an accurate measurement of its advancing height.

“If the weather continues in the same way, it could grow bigger,” said Mr Kernahan. “It’s already way past the eaves of a house.

“Everything seems to have grown well this year. We had a very late spring and, thereafter, it has stayed warm.”

Taller examples have been grown in the past, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, which has contained entries for hollyhocks measuring almost 25ft in the early 1960s and almost 20ft in the late 70s.

A hollyhock measuring 19ft 7in (5.97m) was grown by George Palmer, of West Clandon, Surrey, in 1978. But Mr Kernahan’s could well be the tallest living today – certainly in the UK, where recent headline-grabbers have struggled to stretch beyond 13ft.

There is no entry for the world’s tallest hollyhock in the latest edition – but Mr Kernahan’s huge plant would surely be a record contender, having risen almost 9ins in the last week alone.

He said: “Zara comes a couple of times a week to take care of the garden. She works part-time as a gardener and is very proud of her achievements.”