Desert Globemallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua)

(Fig. 01)

Picture Notes: On 03/21/2013 I captured some some more recent photos (Figs. 01 & 02) while hiking a wash along Lake Mead’s Southshore Road. The remaining pictures, (Figs. 03 & O4) were taken on 03/30/2011, while on a trip with my cousin to Grapevine Canyon located just north of Laughlin, Nevada. They were growing at the very base of a rocky cliff. Based upon its hundreds of buds (Fig. 03), I think it was just starting to bloom and would have been much more beautiful in probably another week.

(Fig. 02)

Description: Desert Globemallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua), also commonly known as Apricot Mallow, is a member of the genus Sphaeralcea in the mallow family (Malvaceae) This two foot perennial shrub contains many one inch orange flowers on two to three foot spikes, the number of which increase with the age of the plant.  The leaves are fuzzy and deeply lobed. The fruit is a brown capsule containing numerous seeds. The flowers are apricot to orange in color and bloom in the spring. It grows well in alkaline soil, both sandy or clay, usually in the company of creosote bush scrub.  Desert Mallow needs sun and good air flow. It is mostly a desert plant native to parts of California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona.

(Fig. 03)

(Fig. 04)