Scarlet globemallow

Sphaeralcea coccinea

Family:: Malvaceae
Elevation:: 3,500 ft – 7,000 ft
Bloom:: Apr – Sep
Region:: Southwest

A low, spreading perennial with grayish deeply cut leaves and abundant apricot-to-brick-orange mallow flowers through the warm months. A tough, cheerful groundcover for hot exposed ground.

Care · tuned to the Southwest

Water

Very drought tolerant; blooms longest with an occasional deep soak in dry spells. Too much water makes it flop and rot.

Sun & exposure

Full sun.

Soil

Lean, gravelly, alkaline. Excellent on hot slopes and gravel mulch.

In the Southwest

Spreads by rhizomes into a loose colony — a virtue for filling hot dead ground, a nuisance in a formal bed. Cut back after a bloom flush to rejuvenate. The tiny leaf hairs can irritate skin (the 'cowboy's delight' name is partly ironic).

Common problems & fixes

Floppy, sprawling habit — stems flop open with extra water or shade
Fix — Grow in full sun and lean soil with minimal water, and shear back after the first bloom flush.
Rust and leaf spot — orange pustules or spotting in humid monsoon weather
Fix — Improve airflow, avoid overhead watering, and remove affected leaves; it usually outgrows it once dry.

Pets & toxicity

No known toxicity to pets.

Easy to confuse with

Copper globemallow (Sphaeralcea angustifolia) — taller, narrower leaves
Desert mallow species elsewhere in the Southwest

Sources

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