Desert Globemallow, Sphaeralcea ambigua

Sphaeralcea ambigua, or Desert Globemallow, is a perennial shrub found in the western United States and Northwest Mexico. With its membership in the mallow family and unique characteristics, it is a must-have for any plant collection.

Sphaeralcea ambigua leaves are fuzzy with white hairs on both sides, lobed, veined, and on long stems, the number of which increase with age.The flowers are bowl-shaped, five-petaled, apricot to dark orange red in color, and bloom in the spring and intermittently throughout the year. The fruit is a brown capsule containing numerous seeds, first quite spherical as implied by the genus name, later flattening to a disk.