Sphaeralcea ambigua var. rosacea

Parish mallow, Parish Mallow

Family: Malvaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Parish mallow is a California native shrub found in southern desert regions, particularly in Desert areas at elevations of 150 to 800 meters. Flowering from March to July, this plant produces lavender to pink flowers with distinctive purple-gray anthers. Growing with an upright habit and reaching moderate shrub size, it develops a sturdy structure characteristic of desert plants. Its leaves are not markedly wrinkled, presenting a smooth surface typical of drought-adapted vegetation. The fruit has a dehiscent segment covering approximately 60 percent of its surface, reflecting its adaptive desert characteristics.

Habitat: Desert scrub

Bloom period: Mar-Jul

Elevation: 150-800 m

Bioregions: D (esp DSon)

California counties: Inyo, San Bernardino, Imperial, Riverside, San Diego, Mono, Los Angeles, Orange

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.