prairie wildflower
Munro's Globemallow
Sphaeralcea munroana
Also known as White-stem Globe-mallow
1 of 2Native to California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming and southern Canada
East of the Cascades from southern British Columbia to Oregon and Placer county, California, east to Montana, Wyoming and western Colorado
- Light Full sun Sun tolerance
- Moisture Dry Moisture preference
- Zones 4–9 Cold to heat range
- Bloom May–Sep Flowering time
- Height up to 3 ft to 0.9 m
- Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial
In the garden
A prairie wildflower for full sun and lean, dry soil. Its pink and orange flowers peak in June. At up to 3 ft, it suits meadows and sunny borders. Hardy in USDA zones 4–9.
Growing conditions
Light
Full sun Partial shade Full shade
Moisture
Dry Moist Wet
Hardiness zones
Find your zone:
When it blooms
The Munro's Globemallow's pink and orange flowers bloom May to September, peaking in June. This early-summer display draws bees and butterflies.
Munro's Globemallow blooms pink & orangeFoliage
Pollinators & wildlife
- Bees Brown-belted Bumble Bee
also Yellow-faced Bumble Bee, Ligated Furrow Bee, Bicolored Striped Sweat Bee +6 more
Hunt's Bumble Bee, Orange-legged Furrow Bee, Nevada Bumble Bee, Wide-striped Sweat Bee, Emilia’s Epeolus, Globemallow chimney bees - Butterflies Gray Hairstreak also Common Checkered-Skipper and Allies, Sagebrush Checkerspot
- Beetles Convergent Lady Beetle also Western Polished Lady Beetle
- Also visited by
- Moths: Rufous-banded Crambid Moth
- Flower flies: Margined Calligrapher
Butterflies that use this plant
Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.
- Gray hairstreaknectar
Full plant details
Where it grows
- Habitat
- PrairieThe wild plant community it grows in.
- Native range
- California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming and southern CanadaUnited States (8): CA, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY. Canada (1): BC. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
- Native distribution
- East of the Cascades from southern British Columbia to Oregon and Placer county, California, east to Montana, Wyoming and western ColoradoThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.
Growing conditions
- Light
- Full sunHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
- Moisture
- DryThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 4–9 · Canadian 3–7The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
- Soil
- Dry, rocky soilsThe soils it grows in naturally.
- Soil pH
- 6.3–8.0The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
- Soil quality
- LowHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
- Water use
- LowHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
- Salinity tolerance
- LowHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.
- Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance
- MediumHow well it copes with chalky, lime-rich soil.
Growth & form
- Height
- up to 3 ft (to 0.9 m)Typical mature height.
- Life cycle
- PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
- Growth rate
- ModerateA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
- Shape
- ErectIts overall silhouette.
- Root depth
- 16+ in (41+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.
Flowers, foliage & fruit
- Type
- WildflowerWhat kind of plant it is.
- Bloom
- May–SepWhen it flowers.
- Flower color
- Pink, OrangeThe bloom color, or colors.
- Fruit/Seeds
- SchizocarpThe seed or fruit it sets after flowering.
- Toxicity
- None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.
Propagation & seed
- Cold stratification
- Not requiredWhether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
- Propagation
- SeedHow to start new plants.
- Seed
- ~0.8 million seeds per poundNotes on the seed and how to sow it.
- Seed spread rate
- SlowHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
- Seedling vigor
- MediumHow strongly young seedlings establish.
- Vegetative spread
- NoneWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.