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Sphaeralcea ambigua

Desert Globemallow · Desert Mallow · Apricot Globe-mallow

Family MalvaceaeGenus Sphaeralcea

A cup-shaped orange flower with overlapping petals and a dark orange center, on a gray hairy stem over pale gravel.
FlowerSue in azPublic domain

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

The plant

Habit
perennialPlants of the World Online
Habit
Perennial, Forb/herb, SubshrubPLANTS Database
Height
5.0 ft1.5 mPLANTS Database
Flower
OrangePLANTS Database
Blooms
Early SpringPLANTS Database
Native range
Arizona, California, Mexico Northwest, Nevada, UtahGBIF Backbone Taxonomy

Growing conditions

Sun
Shade tolerance: HighPLANTS Database
Soil
Adapted to coarse, medium, fine textured soilsPLANTS Database
Soil pH
7.5-8.5PLANTS Database
Moisture
Moisture use: LowPLANTS Database
Watering
Drought tolerance: HighPLANTS Database

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Desert globemallow, also called apricot mallow for its mostly orange flowers, is visited by many bees. One of them, the solitary ground-nesting bee Diadasia ochracea, specializes in it. Wikipedia: Sphaeralcea ambigua

This source reports three treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around August 27, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on August 26, 2026.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 180 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  3. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

    20 germinated in this phase.

Steps after step 2 run on after germination.

about 6 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 42 days.

20% germination in 42 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Sphaeralcea p. 62Public domain
Show the original text
Sphaeralcea (Malvaceae). S. ambigua DS 6 m germ. 70D(12% in 1-5 w), 70L(16% in 2nd w), and 40(20% in 6th w)-70D(20% on 2nd d). '
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Sphaeralcea p. 62. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around September 24, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on September 23, 2026.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 180 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

about 6 months from start to sowing. Then 14 days to germinate.

16% germination in 14 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Sphaeralcea p. 62Public domain
Show the original text
Sphaeralcea (Malvaceae). S. ambigua DS 6 m germ. 70D(12% in 1-5 w), 70L(16% in 2nd w), and 40(20% in 6th w)-70D(20% on 2nd d). '
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Sphaeralcea p. 62. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 3

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around September 3, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on September 2, 2026.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 180 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

about 6 months from start to sowing. Then 35 days to germinate.

12% germination in 7–35 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Sphaeralcea p. 62Public domain
Show the original text
Sphaeralcea (Malvaceae). S. ambigua DS 6 m germ. 70D(12% in 1-5 w), 70L(16% in 2nd w), and 40(20% in 6th w)-70D(20% on 2nd d). '
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Sphaeralcea p. 62. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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