#sphaeralcea

Sphaeralcea cultivar

The genus Sphaeralcea has dozens of species, most of them native to dry areas of Mexico and the western U.S. They are commonly called globe mallows, and they belong to the Mallow Family (Malvaceae). This particular cultivar has striking gray felted leaves, contrasting beautifully with its magenta flowers.

Scarlet globemallow on Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge (via USFWS Mountain-Prairie)

Scarlet globemallow also called Cowboy's delight, (Sphaeralcea coccinea), is a low growing forb found on soils that have been disturbed. On Arapaho NWR, it is common along road edges and near white-tailed prairie dog burrows.

Sphaeralcea cultivar

Sphaeralcea is a genus in the Malvaceae (commonly known as the Mallow Family or the Hibiscus Family), and many of the species are found in the desert areas of the U.S. Southwest, as well as in adjacent Mexico. The plant pictured is a spontaneous seedling that came up at the Ruth Bancroft Garden, and its orange color is not surprising, since this is a common flower color seen in the genus. But its huge flowers are quite notable, much larger than any of the other Sphaeralcea plants we have grown.

Sphaeralcea ambigua

The Mallow Family (Malvaceae) has some wonderful dry-growing species from the deserts of the southwestern U.S. and also Mexico. This one is Sphaeralcea ambigua, known as the Desert Globe Mallow, or Apricot Mallow. As can be seen in the photos above, it is providing a vivid splash of orange at the moment.

Sphaeralcea cultivar

The genus Sphaeralcea has the common name of Desert Mallow, alluding to the fact that they are often found in dry parts of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico. They are sometimes referred to as globemallow as well, because some species have petals which curl inward and overlap to form little globes. These drought-tolerant plants are related to hibiscus, and the similarity is evident in the flowers seen above. Orange is a common color in Sphaeralcea, but they can also be red, pink, violet or white. The pink cultivar pictured has flowers larger than most kinds.

Sphaeralcea incana

Sphaeralcea incana is a drought-tolerant small shrub in the Hibiscus Family (Malvaceae), native to Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Usually it has orange flowers, but this rose-magenta form is also very attractive. It has good cold-tolerance (to about 10 F), as well as a long blooming season.