Sphaeralcea coccinea (Scarlet Globemallow)

Sphaeralcea coccinea (Scarlet Globemallow) is a low-spreading, long-lived perennial boasting a profusion of deep orange to brick-red flowers, 1 in. wide (2.5 cm), from mid-spring to fall. Clustered in dense, short racemes, the flowers provide a rich source of pollen and nectar to bees and butterflies. They are borne atop slender stems clad with alternate, palmately lobed leaves. Both stems and leaves are usually covered in dense stellate hairs, making them appear pale to silvery green. Scarlet Globemallow has a deep taproot that may remain unbranched for 3 ft. (90 cm) before it divides into lateral roots. Scarlet Globemallow spreads by rhizomes and self-seeding and may form clumps or extensive colonies. One plant may produce up to 1,860 seeds. Many birds and small mammals will feast on them. Drought and disturbance-tolerant, Scarlet Globemallow is perfect for xeriscaping and low water-use gardening. It is also valuable for erosion control and restoration of disturbed arid and semi-arid sites.

• Grows up to 4-16 in. tall (10-40 cm).
• Thrives in full sun in dry, well-drained soils.  Tolerates a wide range of soil types from sandy to clay loams to gravelly to alkaline and moderately saline soils. Thrives in very dry, poor limestone soils. It is extremely drought-tolerant and does not tolerate shady conditions. During very dry conditions, it sheds its leaves and enters vegetative dormancy.
• It is a great candidate for beds and borders, rock gardens, Mediterranean gardens, desert or semi-desert gardens, or dry slopes.
• No serious pest or disease issues. Keep an eye out for grasshoppers.
• Sphaeralcea plants are important forage sources for several rodents, rabbits, deer, and antelope. Browsing deer will often consume all the foliage and leave only the woody base.
• Cut back after flowering to rejuvenate the plant.
• Propagate by seeds and rhizomes. Sow treated seed or take rhizome cuttings in spring.
• Native to the central and western United States, western Canada, and northern Mexico.