Brighten up a hot , dry garden with gentle - care desert mallow and you ’ll be honor intimately year - round .
Desert mallowis a shrubby , upright perennial native to the southwestern United States and Mexico . In the wild , desert mallow can be found brightening shrublands , roadside , and juiceless , rocky slopes from Baja California to Utah . For nurseryman in similar climates ( zones 8 - 10 ) , desert mallow makes an excellent improver torocky , sloped , and arid landscape painting .
Also known as desert hollyhock , the tough perennial is decorated with grandiloquent ( 1 to 2 - foot)hollyhock - same spike of sunset - orange flowers almost year - round . In the right climate , desert mallow is adaptable and much effortless . It grows best with lots of sun , well - drain soil , and limited watering .
Credit: Denny Schrock
Where to Plant Desert Mallow
A native of the American Southwest , desert mallow thrive in full Sunday and easily tolerate intense heat . It ’s adaptable to various soil eccentric — let in poor dirt — but wo n’t tolerate wet foundation . The hard recurrent fare good in open growing spaces where increase airflow helps prevent disease . Plant it in a mixed border or seam for a authentic punch of coloring . Add it to agravel or rock garden . Or , include it in axeriscape spaceorlow - body of water landscapenear a patio where you could on a regular basis love its cheerful blossoms . no matter of where you plant it , be aware of nearby garden space . Desert mallow will open from its original planting location via hush-hush rhizome if allowed .
How and When to Plant Desert Mallow
Desert mallow seeds can be planted outdoors in late winter or other outflow . However , before you establish them , the seeds should be scarred and stored in the icebox for 30 day ofcoldstratification . Plant the seeds about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch bass and 24 to 28 inches apart .
Transplants or seedlings can be plant almost any sentence of yr , but an former declivity planting appropriate the perennial to establish strong roots before wintertime . If necessary , improve your soilseveral week in advance . Desert mallow needs well - drain , sandy to rocky soil andwill not tolerate big Lucius Clay . pee your plant softly , but deeply 24 hours before plant to reduce transplant shock . When quick , dig a mess just as deep and twice as wide as the works ’s container . Place the plant in your prepared hole and backfill with the can soil , tamping down as you work to remove air air hole . weewee profoundly .
Desert Mallow Care Tips
Desert mallow grows in chaparral home ground and xeric shrublands , so it ’s well - accommodate to water supply limitation . The perennial is outstanding for dry , urine - wise garden and cheery slopes where other plant life may struggle .
Light
Desert mallow needsfull sun(at least 6 hour daily ) and ample melodic line circulation . It will be happier on an open , exposed hillside than tuck between construction or trees .
Soil and Water
Desert mallow is a rightful desert subsister , so it come best in sandy or rocky soil . It ’s adaptable topoor soilsbut can not tolerate threatening , wet soil .
New desert mallow seedlings should be watered heavily , but infrequently so they can show strong roots . Deep water supply the surrounding grime ( not the flora itself ) every 2 to 3 week and mark the soil in between . Only pee when the first 2 to 3 inch of the soil are dry . Once ripe , desert mallow needs little if any supplemental water .
Temperature and Humidity
Desert mallow thrive in dry temperature between 60˚ and 90˚ Fahrenheit and can endure temperatures as low as 15˚ F when moisture is not present . It does not permit high humidity and prefers annual rainfall level within 5 - 20 inches .
Fertilizer
Desert mallow is adaptable and undemanding . It does not require fertiliser . In fact , fertilizing may cause more damage than good . At good , it could promote your plant to focus on bring about foliage instead of prime . At bad , it could causefertilizer burnthat lead to wilt , yellowing , and brown foliage tips .
Pruning
Prune your desert mallow back to 6 to 12 in from the footing once annually . Annual pruning will encourage bushiness , belittle spreading , and prevent your desert mallow from arise woody . This is best done in tardy summer or early fall after the plant finish flowering . While pruning , it ’s best to wear gloves . Desert mallow foliage is encompass in fine tomentum that may irritate those with tender pelt .
Potting and Repotting
Desert mallow is gravid for containers — especially if your garden soil is too heavy to be hospitable . Be sure to choose a container with splendid drainage that is large enough to adapt its growth ( at least 6 to 8 inch in diam ) . Fill the container with a 1:1:1 mix ofsand , perlite , and compost . Place your desert mallow plant life in the container so it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container . Water gently , but profoundly . You want the soil to be moist , but not wet .
Plan to repot your desert mallow every 2 to 3 years or whenever it outgrows its container . Opt for a new quite a little one sizing larger and fill with fresh potting mix . When you transfer , handle it gently . Desert mallow is prostrate to transplant electric shock . Wait until it is done flowering and water system the plant life deep about 24 hr before repotting .
Pests and Problems
Desert mallow has no major progeny with pests or diseases but watch foraphidsandspider mites . Also , extravagant moisture can direct to root rotting and other fungal issue .
How to Propagate Desert Mallow
Desert mallow go around easy on its own via seeded player and rhizomes . However , if you wish to propagate your own , wait until the flowers melt and harvest the brown , pinwheel - like ejaculate cod . When the seed pods are ironic , shake the seeds from the pod . stack away the seeds in a coolheaded , dry station or prep them for plant with scarification . To do this , hit the severe coat of the seeded player with emery paper or soak your seed in stewing water and let them support for 8 to 10 hours ( or overnight ) . Mix your seeds with gumption andstore them in the icebox for or so 30 sidereal day . In late winter or early spring , plant them 24 to 48 inches apart and just below the surface ( 1/4 to 1/2 inch ) of gently moistened dirt . Water your freshly planted seed only occasionally while they germinate . The goal is to keep the ground equally moist , but not soaked .
Types of Desert Mallow
While there are about 40 to 60 differentSphaeralcea , there are only a handful of desert mallow cultivars . These deviate mostly by prime colour or native home ground .
‘Louis Hamilton’ Desert Mallow
The ‘ Louis Hamiliton’Sphaeralcea ambiguacultivar features deep precious coral , almost red efflorescence .
Mountain Apricot Mallow
Mountain apricot mallow ( Sphaeralcea ambiguavar.ambigua ) is native to desert area in southerly and central California and grows at height between 500 and 8,200 feet . It has brilliant apricot efflorescence .
Rosy Apricot Mallow
Rosy apricot mallow ( Sphaeralcea ambiguavar.rosacea ) has rosy , lilac-colored - colored blooms . It grows in the first place in the desert passel at elevations between 500 and 2,600 ft .
Companion Plants for Desert Mallow
California Juniper
Junipersare various and bad , so they are perfect for add color , texture , and privacy to garden in zones 3 - 9 . California juniper ( Juniperus californica ) in particular couplet beautifully with desert mallow because both can be found growing together in their native home ground . Plus , California raetam has blue - gray foliage and showy berries that make it very ornamental . It grow 10 - 15 foot tall in zone 8 - 10 and , once established , is exceptionally drought tolerant .
Feathery Cassia
Feathery cassiais an evergreen shrub with silvery leg and feather - like gray - gullible foliage . Like desert mallow , feathery Cinnamomum cassia isincredibly drought - tolerantand humble - maintenance . It has been screw to survive on just two deep irrigations or rain per yr and thrives when watered about once every other calendar month . Feathery Cinnamomum cassia likes full sun and well - drained soil that is sandy or jolting . It grows 3 to 8 foot improbable in zone 8 - 11 and bears fragrant yellow blossom almost yr - round .
Manzanita
Manzanitais an evergreen plant shrub that typically develop from 6 to 12 foundation tall in zones 8 - 10 ( although it can grow taller ) . Like desert mallow , they are often found growing in the semi - arid region of the California Chaparral . Manzanita is know for its colorful red , regal , and grey bark and its diminutive , Malus pumila - like fruits that give way to clusters of flower from late winter to early spring . Manzanita is drought tolerant and flourish best in full sunlight or part shade .
Santa Rosa Island Sage
It ’s well - known in garden circles thatperennial salviasare various , showy , and well-fixed to grow . Plus , with over1,000 coinage to choose from , there ’s one for almost any landscape painting . Santa Rosa Island sage ( Salvia brandegeei ) , for example , is an exceptionally drouth - broad and long - lived sage . It has a shrublike form and develop 4 - 6 substructure marvelous in zones 8 - 10 . It features dark green leaves and fragrant , pallid blue or lilac-colored prime beginning in former spring .
Yarrow
Yarrowis a classical garden perennial known for its ruggedness . So , gardeners with tough conditions — like piteous soil , moth-eaten wintertime , and hot summers — can still grow it . Plus , like desert mallow , yarrow isexceptionally drouth tolerant . With its tall radical of colorful flowers and fern - same leaf , Achillea millefolium is utter for borders , butterfly gardens , cottage garden , and container . It thrives in domain with full sunlight and well - drained soil .
Frequently Asked Questions
Desert mallow self - seed and pass around via rhizome , but is not considered invasive . Deadhead flower and prune annually to minimize spreading . extract up volunteer plants that develop where they are not wanted .
Desert mallow is not considered toxic to human race or animals . However , the plant ’s bow and leaf are covered in hunky-dory hairs that may irritate skin or eyes . It ’s wise to wear gloves when handling or pruning your desert mallow plants .
lamentably , no . Desert mallow blooms are pretty , but do n’t hold up for very long once they are cut . It ’s best to enjoy them outside .
Credit: Denny Schrock
Credit: Denny Schrock
