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Scarlet Globemallow

Sphaeralcea coccinea

Low, silvery-leaved mallow dotting the shortgrass plains with apricot-orange cups all summer. Spreads by rhizome and thrives on the driest, hardest ground. Like other globemallows, the plant has documented food and medicinal use, in the same mild, mucilaginous tradition as okra and marshmallow root.

Family

Malvaceae

Type

shrub

Lifespan

biennial

Height

1.5–1.5 ft

Spacing

1–2 ft apart

Light

sun

Soil moisture

dry

Soil pH

neutral, alkaline

Bloom

April, May, June, July, August, September

Bloom colors

red, orange

Wildlife value

pollinators

Landscape uses

border, groundcover, container, erosion control, naturalizing

Native states

AZ, CO, IA, ID, KS, MN, MT, ND, NE, NM, OK, SD, TX, UT, WY