Gardening Flowers Perennials Desert Mallow By Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln Instagram Viveka Neveln is the Garden Editor at BHG and a degreed horticulturist with broad gardening expertise earned over 3+ decades of practice and study. She has more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for both print and digital media. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on January 31, 2017 Share Tweet Pin Email Light up a hot, dry garden with easy-care desert mallow. Also known as desert hollyhock, this tough perennial is decorated with 1-2-foot-tall spikes of warm orange flowers nearly year-round. It thrives in full sun and open growing conditions where it receives good airflow to prevent disease. Plant it in a mixed border for a reliable punch of color, or include it in a fountain planting where you can regularly enjoy its cheerful blossoms. Desert mallow grows best with limited watering. Desert Mallow Overview Genus Name Sphaeralcea ambigua Common Name Desert Mallow Plant Type Perennial Light Sun Height 1 to 3 feet Width null to 3 feet Flower Color Orange Season Features Fall Bloom, Spring Bloom, Summer Bloom, Winter Bloom Special Features Attracts Birds, Cut Flowers, Low Maintenance Zones 10, 8, 9 Propagation Division Problem Solvers Drought Tolerant Desert Mallow Companion Plants Complement the upright nature of desert mallow with the rounded form of feathery cassia. Also drought-tolerant, Santa Rosa Island sage has striking magenta blooms all summer. Create a warm-color garden by pairing desert mallow with golden-yellow flowering yarrow. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit