Desert Globemallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua)

from $8.99

Botanical name: Sphaeralcea ambigua • Bloom season: Spring to summer • Bloom color: Apricot-orange • Host plant (Great Basin): common checkered-skipper, west coast lady, painted lady, northern white-skipper, white checkered-skipper, small checkered-skipper

Desert Globemallow and its oh-so-popular orange-sherbet flowers are indigenous to the Intermountain and Southwestern states in desert or steppe habitats. In the wild, it gets whatever precipitation comes along; in a xeriscape, monthly to no watering will do. On drip, it will put on a show with more flowering, and if cut in the spring, will flush again through the summer and fall. Look closely, and you can see a green sweat bee in one of these pics. Globemallow is a favorite of native bees and butterflies. Here in the Vital Bee Buds landscape, it is planted next to a hot, reflective cement drive, thriving alongside Penstemon strictus (Rocky Mountain) and purple meadow sage. Its standout credential is specialist support: globemallow bees in the genus Diadasia visit almost nothing else, so planting this makes habitat for insects that a generic pollinator mix simply does not serve. The globemallow bees that depend on it are part of twenty-eight specialist species recorded on this genus across the western US.

Botanical name: Sphaeralcea ambigua • Bloom season: Spring to summer • Bloom color: Apricot-orange • Host plant (Great Basin): common checkered-skipper, west coast lady, painted lady, northern white-skipper, white checkered-skipper, small checkered-skipper

Desert Globemallow and its oh-so-popular orange-sherbet flowers are indigenous to the Intermountain and Southwestern states in desert or steppe habitats. In the wild, it gets whatever precipitation comes along; in a xeriscape, monthly to no watering will do. On drip, it will put on a show with more flowering, and if cut in the spring, will flush again through the summer and fall. Look closely, and you can see a green sweat bee in one of these pics. Globemallow is a favorite of native bees and butterflies. Here in the Vital Bee Buds landscape, it is planted next to a hot, reflective cement drive, thriving alongside Penstemon strictus (Rocky Mountain) and purple meadow sage. Its standout credential is specialist support: globemallow bees in the genus Diadasia visit almost nothing else, so planting this makes habitat for insects that a generic pollinator mix simply does not serve. The globemallow bees that depend on it are part of twenty-eight specialist species recorded on this genus across the western US.

Size:

Plant Characteristics

Botanical Name: Sphaeralcea ambigua

Common Name: Desert Globemallow

Native: Native

Sun: Full Sun

Water: Low

Bloom Time: Spring to summer

Bloom Color: Apricot-orange

Pollinators: Bees; Butterflies

Deer Resistant: Yes

Mature Size: W 2'-3' x H 2'-3'

Soil: Sharply drained; lean, sandy or gravelly soil, will not tolerate clay or overwatering

Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial subshrub

USDA Zones: 6 to 10

Spread Habit: Clumping

Available As: Live plant

Native Region: Mojave Desert; Sonoran Desert; Colorado Plateau (edge)

Host Plant (Great Basin): common checkered-skipper, west coast lady, painted lady, northern white-skipper, white checkered-skipper, small checkered-skipper

Growing Notes

Full sun and sharply drained, lean, sandy or gravelly ground. It will not tolerate clay or overwatering, the two main ways it is usually lost. Space about 2 feet apart. Note the hardiness range: this is one of the less cold-hardy plants in the catalog, so give it a warm, sheltered, very well-drained position in Reno.


This native Globemallow has been tested at Vital Bee Buds for 4 years. It is temperamental to care for when young. The best success has come with a laser drip emitter near the base that is occasionally moved back and forth across the rootball, helping the young taproot mature with consistent moisture, yet not too much. The roots twist and turn sideways or grow as a straight, downward taproot. A favorite requested by most clients, preferring the soft shade of orange from their hiking excursions. It can bloom in its second year but most often in its third year or when reaching 1.5'. After that, it will send multiple tall stems from the main stem. It is such a special moment to see the green sweat bees and other native bees find their host!

  • Water: Low

  • Sun: Full Sun

  • Soil: Sharply drained; lean, sandy or gravelly soil; will not tolerate clay or overwatering

  • Mature size: W 2'-3' x H 2'-3'

Note: Because of the long taproot of this native plant, these are sold on the small side for the best chance of transplanting into your space. No soil amendments needed. When removing the plant from the pot, DO NOT loosen the soil away from the taproot. Prepare your hole first and gently set the rootball at the same level as in the pot. Water in a circle where the rootball and native soil meet.

Maintenance

Shear it back by about a third after the first flush, and it will often rebloom. Leave the growth standing through winter, which also protects the crown, and cut back in late spring. Do not irrigate once established and do not fertilize. The fine hairs on the foliage can irritate eyes, so it is worth mentioning to customers who will be handling it.