Mallow, Desert Globemallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua), packet of 100 seeds

Family:  Mallow (Malvaceae)

Hardy to Zones 7 to 12

(Apricot Mallow, Yerba de la Negrita) Woody perennial to 3 feet tall, with deeply lobed leaves and 1 inch cup-like flowers of orange to red, native to the drylands of the southwestern states, Mexico and Baja.  Traditional usage (American Indian, TWM): Emollient, demulcent, wounds, upper respiratory and urinary tract infection.  Plant prefers full sun and dry soil of of roadside, wastelands, or outer boundaries of the garden.  To make the nicest show, cut back after flowering.  Seed of this plant will remain in the seed bank for many years and sprout in the winter to early spring, especially if stimulated by rains and disturbance.  The easiest way to get the seeds to sprout with relative ease is to scarify on fine sandpaper, then drop in boiling water for 10 seconds, pour off through a strainer, and plant.  Otherwise the seed requires both scarification and cold treatment, at least 6 weeks in moist medium in a plastic bag or jar in the fridge, then plant in warm soil.  Thin or transplant to 1 foot apart.

100 seeds/pkt, Open Pollinated, Untreated, NO GMO’s