How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Scarlet Globemallow

While its name might sound like an aristocratic Bridgerton character, Scarlet Globemallow is no hothouse flower. Rather than tossing pouty glares in a cutthroat marriage market, this species does just fine by itself, thank you, typically thriving as a first responder for depleted, dry soils. However, this sturdy plant is not invasive and tends to coexist pleasantly with fellow xeriscape plants.

The North American native has striking orange petals arranged in a cuplike bloom. Its sprawling stems and fuzzy, greyish-green leaves make it a pleasant ground cover. Also known as red false mallow, copper mallow, and cowboy’s delight, it can help stabilize roadsides where low to moderate erosion is an issue. A member of the Mallow family, S. coccinea counts hollyhock and okra as nearby kin.

Gardeners in arid climates who rely on scarce rainwater might appreciate this species’ thrifty, drought-resistant ways. In fact, it only fusses over too much water. If you’ve got a spot in your flower bed, this guide will show you how to plant, grow, and care for this free spirit.

What Is It?

Family Malvaceae (Mallow) Genus Sphaeralcea (globemallow) Species Sphaeralcea coccinea Plant Type Biennial/Perennial	Native Area U.S. and Canada (within Intermountain West, Great Basin, Rocky Mountains and Great Plains) Exposure Full Sun Soil pH Neutral to Slightly Acidic Height 4-24”	Hardiness Zones 6-8 Watering Requirements Low Pests & Diseases Weevils, Grasshoppers, Powdery Mildew & Rust Maintenance Low

History & Uses

Native Americans, including Blackfoot, Lakota, Dakota, Navajo, Comanche, Acoma, and Laguna tribes traditionally used Scarlet Globemallow as a medicine. It was utilized to heal wounds, ease swelling, increase appetite, stop bleeding, and soothe skin problems.

This wildflower is an important forage for both wild and domesticated animals. Bison, deer, pronghorn antelope, elk, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, and jackrabbits nibble on this perennial ground cover. Cattle and sheep eat it, too. Some small birds will go for the seeds. Horses, however, will say nay to its taste.

Wild ground-dwelling bees and the Wild Checkered-Skipper butterfly love Scarlet Globemallow. It also counts restoration experts among its fans since the wildflower tends to show up after soils are disturbed by drought, grazing, and burning.

Characteristics

Scarlet Globemallow makes its home in dry climates where between 8 and 12 inches of annual precipitation are the norm. It can be found throughout most of the western half of the United States and into parts of Canada and Mexico. S. coccinea has distributed itself far and wide, from British Columbia across to Manitoba in the north and from Arizona to Texas and Chihuahua, Mexico in the south.

Flowers may bloom late April through October in warmer regions like the Intermountain West and as briefly as the month of June in far northern climes like Saskatchewan. It appears in desert, semi-desert, prairies, grasslands, scrubland, open woodland, and along dry roadsides at elevations ranging between 980 to 9,020 feet. 

Globemallow’s favorite, wild companions include pinyon, juniper, Ponderosa pine, Gambel oak, sagebrush, blue grama, and blue bunch or western wheatgrass.

Planting & Propagating

The wildflower can be challenging to propagate, but once established, it will return every year.

Planting Seeds

Scarlet Globemallow is not easily found in nurseries as a potted plant, but several wildflower seed companies sell it by the packet for home gardeners. It is sold by the pound for ranchers and rewinding experts who are establishing large, native plant pastures.

Globemallow needs to experience the cool temperatures of winter to wake up in the spring. For this reason, it’s best to sow its seeds directly into the soil in the fall. It doesn’t need much coddling in this category, either — a quarter of an inch under the soil is plenty deep. A single watering at this point is enough. 

Scarification (scratching or otherwise breaking down the outer seed coat) can assist in nudging seedlings out. A light scraping with sandpaper should do the trick. It’s important to use thick garden gloves, as tiny hairs on the seeds can be an eye irritant.

These seeds can have a low germination rate, so sprinkle generously along your rows. Space rows 28-36 inches apart. Thin crowded seedlings within rows to 18 inches between plants.

Propagating From Rhizomes

Another way to grow Scarlet Globemallow is to take cuttings from the plant’s root-like rhizome. A rhizome is not truly a root but a fleshy, underground stem. (Ginger “root” is an example of a rhizome.)

Rhizome cuttings taken in springtime can be buried just under the soil and allowed to develop new plants. If you can’t get rhizome cuttings, seeds are the way to go. 

How to Grow

Scarlet Globemallow is very much a live-and-let-live kind of organism. Plant it, water it once, and let it do the rest. If you’re an anxious plant parent, you can give it some extra sips of water occasionally, but only if the soil has been dry for a while. No need to overdo it!

Light

Full sun is this wildflower’s friend. In hotter, desert climates like New Mexico and Arizona, it tolerates partial sun exposure near junipers and under velvety mesquite, but these are exceptions. 

For the best results, place your seeds where they can worship the sun. That means at least 6 hours of unfiltered sunlight per day. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, planting in a southerly direction is ideal.

Water

If watering seeds only once seems to good to be true, remember: this is a desert plant and a wild native. Water it regularly as you’re establishing it in the landscape. If your area gets less than 16 inches of precipitation per year, then you can water it one more time, specifically after its flowers have been pollinated and the seeds are beginning to develop.

Soil

Scarlet Globemallow isn’t too picky about soils, either. It tolerates everything from sandy to clay loams to alkaline and moderately saline conditions. With its long, slender taproot (over 3 feet according to some measurements), it can steady its feet in gravelly soils, too. 

But if it had to choose? Fast-draining, sandy loam over clay, and a neutral to slightly acidic tang are its favorite conditions.

Temperature & Humidity

This wildflower does best in USDA plant hardiness zones 6-8, which means the lowest temperature range it can handle is between -10 to 20°F (-23 to -9°C). Muggy, coastal climes do not appeal. Therefore, the hellstrip lining the driveway is preferable to the damp area alongside your water feature.

Fertilizing

This is where Globemallow just gets better. It doesn’t like too much nitrogen, so fertilizer is not necessary. A top dressing of compost annually is plenty.

Maintenance

Overall, easy-peasy, but…aside from ruminants like deer and some rodents like prairie dogs who like to munch on the wildflower’s leaves, there are some tinier creatures that are particularly smitten with Scarlet Globemallow. Weevils are perhaps the worst, as they interfere with seed production. (More on these in Pests and Diseases below.)

Harvesting

Being a carefree wildflower, this species doesn’t perform well in a vase. Enjoy it outdoors, where its blooms will attract bees and other pollinators to your garden.

Pests & Diseases

Easygoing as it is, Scarlet Globemallow’s attractiveness can be a problem where certain pests are concerned. Egg-laying weevils are perhaps the most troublesome, as their entire lifecycles, from larvae to adult, can decimate blooms and developing seed pods. Grasshoppers also find it tasty. However, pesticides are not recommended, as they can endanger beneficial pollinators.

Powdery mildew and rust can ruin the party as well. Excessive moisture and shade are typically the culprits here, so careful placement in dry, sunny spots is the key to avoiding these fungal issues.

Frequently Asked Questions