Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Globemallow
Globemallow is a native wildflower shrub with soft, gray-green leaves and cup-shaped flowers, most often light orange but also pink, red, lavender or white. It puts on a big show in late winter and spring, with lighter bloom after summer rains. It grows fast on almost no water once rooted and draws bees and butterflies.
Best for: a big spring flower show in desert yards, native and wildlife gardens, bees and butterflies, and spots that get very little water.
Flowers cover the plant in late winter and spring, with a lighter round after summer rains. Colors range from orange to pink, red, lavender and white.
Once rooted it needs little or no water. A spring watering can stretch the bloom a few weeks.
The flowers draw bees, butterflies and other pollinators through the spring bloom. Plant several together for a bigger show.
It is not much to look at outside bloom season, and extra water makes it big and floppy. The leaf hairs can irritate eyes and skin.
- Mass planting4 ft apart
- Spaced plants in a bed6 ft apart
Water a new plant every 2 to 4 days for the first few weeks, then stretch the time between waterings. Once rooted it needs little or no water. Extra water makes it grow big and floppy.
Cut it back hard once a year to keep it compact and full of flowers. Let it drop some seed first if you want new plants to fill in.
The leaves have fine hairs that can irritate eyes and skin. Wear gloves and eye protection when you prune.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does globemallow get?
It usually grows about 2 to 4 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide. Water less and cut it back once a year to keep it smaller.
When does globemallow bloom?
It blooms in late winter and spring, with a lighter bloom after summer rains. A spring watering can stretch the bloom a few weeks.
How much water does globemallow need?
It needs little or none once rooted. A spring watering can stretch the bloom, but extra water makes it floppy.
Should I cut globemallow back?
Yes. Cut it back hard once a year to keep it dense and compact.
Does globemallow reseed?
Yes. It reseeds freely in dry, desert-style yards, which replaces older plants over time. Leave some seedlings to fill in, and pull the ones you do not want.
Can globemallow irritate skin?
Yes, it can. The leaves are covered in fine hairs that can irritate eyes and skin, so wear gloves and eye protection when pruning.
What colors does it come in?
Most often light orange, but also pink, red, lavender and white. Buy plants in bloom to be sure of the color.
Is globemallow cold hardy?
Yes. It is rated to about 5 to 10°F, so it needs no frost cover in the Valley.
Does it attract pollinators?
Yes. Bees, butterflies, moths and hummingbirds visit the flowers. Plant a group of them for a bigger spring show.
Can globemallow bother allergies?
Yes. Its pollen can bother people with allergies.
Is globemallow evergreen?
Yes. It keeps its soft gray-green leaves through the year, and they grow back quickly after its yearly cutback.
Globemallow for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Globemallow is a fast native wildflower shrub with cup-shaped flowers, most often orange, in late winter and spring. This page covers its size, bloom, water, cutting back, reseeding, leaf hairs and cold.
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Globemallow in Phoenix
Globemallow is a fast native wildflower shrub with cup-shaped spring flowers, most often orange, on very little water.
How far apart to plant globemallow
Space plants 4 to 6 feet apart to fill a bed without crowding.
When to cut back globemallow
Cut it back hard once a year to keep it compact and flowering well.
Watering globemallow
It needs little or no water once rooted, and extra water makes it big and floppy.
Globemallow flower colors
Orange is most common, with pink, red, lavender and white forms. Buy plants in bloom to choose a color.
Globemallow for pollinators
Bees, butterflies and other pollinators visit the flowers. Plant a group for a bigger spring show.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.