How to Grow and Care for Globe mallows

Desert globe mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua) is a perennial shrub native to the western United States. Other names for the plant include “Deserthollyhock” and “Apricot Mallow.” In years with lots of rain, it bursts forth with stunning tangerine-colored flowers all over the desert.

This perennial plant, known as the scarlet Globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea), is native to much of the western United States and was the last plant collected on the Lewis and Clark expedition. It grows via spreading rhizomes, enjoys growing in open prairies, and has been used in reclamation plantings to reintroduce native plants to fields overrun by invasives.

A species of flower in the mallow family, white-stem globemallow is commonly found in the western United States. It grows wooly, grayish-green leaves that are offset by bright orange blooms. This plant prefers dry, open plains and deserts.

Sphaeralcea angustifolia is native to the southwestern United States as well as parts of Mexico. It can grow in plateau and desert habitats. It's largely used as an ornamental plant because of its attractive bloom. The copper globemallow also attracts butterflies, nectar bees and birds. It's also a larval host to the common checkered skipper.

This North American desert plant’s felted gray-green leaves are a foil to the brilliant orange cup-shaped flowers that appear in the fall. Gray globemallow (Sphaeralcea incana) flowers attract butterflies and are valuable to native bees. A hair rinse can be created from an infusion of this plant to give the hair more body.