Scientific Family
Malvaceae
Other common names
thicket globemallow
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Perennial
Similar species
Sphaeralcea ambigua
Height
To 4 feet
Riparian
No
Many branched, upright sub-shrub.
Short, soft hairs are gray or whitish; leaf blades much longer than wide, often cut or split about half-way to the middle or base; lateral lobes triangular and often tapering to a point.
Habitat
Sandy, rocky or loamy soils in open sunny or shady areas.
Plant Community
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Montane Conifer Forest
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Desert Scrub
Low elevation
2800
High elevation
7100
Flower Characteristics
Flowers, on tall slender stalks, have 5 broad, notched petals. Petals are held almost flat and are green at their base.
Flower color
Pinkish-purple to orange
Flower shape
Regular
Tubular
No
First bloom month
March
Last bloom month
September
Flower clusters
Elongated
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Leaves have deeply veined; may vary from deeply dissected to shallowly lobed. Stems are somewhat woody.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Grayish-green
Leaf shape
Triangular
Leaf margin
Dissected
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves & stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Fruit is pie-shaped and split into segments.
Fruit type
Pod
Fruit color
Brown
Seeds are kidney-shaped.