Sphaeralcea coccinea

Common Names

Scarlet Globemallow, Red False Mallow, Common Globemallow, Copper Mallow, Caliche Globemallow, Prairie Mallow, Cowboy’s Delight, Scarlet Falsemallow

Summary

Scarlet globemallow is a drought-tolerant North American native perennial in the Malvaceae, forming a low, rhizomatous clump from a woody caudex. It features gray-green, palmately lobed leaves densely covered with stellate hairs and orange to brick-red five-petaled flowers borne in racemes; stems are slender and the plant typically grows about 10–30 cm tall and 30–45 cm wide. It is among the first to bloom, with flowering extending from spring into fall, and possesses a deep taproot that supports its drought-tolerance and ground-covering habit.

Growing conditions are full sun with well-drained soils; tolerates dry, sandy to gravelly soils and alkaline conditions; USDA hardiness zones 6–8; low water needs and minimal maintenance once established. Ideal for xeriscapes, native and Western-style gardens, and ground-cover or erosion-control plantings; it attracts bees and butterflies and provides forage for wildlife; propagation by seed or by rhizome cuttings, and not toxic to humans or pets.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

4-24 inches

Spread

1-3 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 6–8

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun. Tolerates partial shade.

Soil Type

Well-drained soil

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil

Soil pH

5.5-7.2 (optimal)

Bloom Color

Orange to red

Bloom Time

Spring and Summer

Foliage Color

Green to gray-green

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Fast

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Cuttings, Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, butterflies, other pollinators, birds