Flower profile
Scarlet globemallow
Sphaeralcea coccinea
Scarlet globemallow is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 7 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–July.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming
Quick look
Sphaeralcea coccinea, commonly known as the scarlet globemallow, scarlet mallow, cowboy's delight, prairie mallow, red false mallow, or simply as globe mallow is a perennial plant growing 10–30 cm tall from spreading rhizomes with a low habit. They have grayish stems with dense, star-shaped hairs and alternately arranged leaves.
- It belongs to the Malvaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a biennial, perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 17 states. USDA PLANTS
- In Colorado, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–July. iNaturalist
- In New Mexico, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–September. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as red. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as spring. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 1.5 ft. USDA PLANTS
- iNaturalist has 5,574 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #15 among the 110 flowers on our Colorado list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,156 research-grade sightings of it in New Mexico, ranking #37 among the 109 flowers on our New Mexico list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 785 research-grade sightings of it in South Dakota, ranking #7 among the 108 flowers on our South Dakota list. iNaturalist
Scarlet globemallow gift ideas
Handmade scarlet globemallow gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Scarlet globemallow art print
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Scarlet globemallow greeting card
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Scarlet globemallow mug
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Scarlet globemallow earrings
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Scarlet globemallow embroidery pattern
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Scarlet globemallow sticker
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in each of our 7 states
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | Native | April–July | 5,574 |
| New Mexico | Native | April–September | 1,156 |
| South Dakota | Native | May–July | 785 |
| Montana | Native | June | 708 |
| Wyoming | Native | May–July | 631 |
| North Dakota | Native | June–August | 380 |
| Nebraska | Native | few records | 247 |
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Colorado
- No list Colorado has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Colorado ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Colorado.
- New Mexico
- Not listed Not on New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Mexico. 19.21.2.9 NMAC
- South Dakota
- No list South Dakota's endangered and threatened list (ARSD 41:10:02) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's South Dakota ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Dakota.
- Montana
- No list Montana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Montana ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Montana.
- Wyoming
- No list Wyoming has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Wyoming ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Wyoming.
- North Dakota
- No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in North Dakota.
- Nebraska
- Not listed Not on Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Nebraska. 163 NAC 4-004
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: IA (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records scarlet globemallow in 17 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming.
Colorado counties with USDA records: Adams, Alamosa, Archuleta, Baca, Bent, Boulder, Chaffee, Cheyenne, Conejos, Costilla, Crowley, Custer, Delta, Denver, Dolores, Douglas, Eagle, El Paso, Garfield, Grand, Gunnison, Huerfano, Jackson, Jefferson, Kiowa, Kit Carson, La Plata, Larimer, Las Animas, Lincoln, Logan, Mesa, Mineral, Moffat, Montezuma, Montrose, Morgan, Otero, Park, Prowers, Pueblo, Rio Blanco, Rio Grande, Saguache, San Miguel, Sedgwick, Summit, Washington, Weld, Yuma.
New Mexico counties with USDA records: Bernalillo, Catron, Chaves, Colfax, Curry, De Baca, Dona Ana, Eddy, Grant, Guadalupe, Harding, Lincoln, Los Alamos, Luna, McKinley, Mora, Otero, Quay, Rio Arriba, Roosevelt, San Juan, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Socorro, Taos, Torrance, Union.
South Dakota counties with USDA records: Beadle, Brule, Butte, Campbell, Charles Mix, Corson, Custer, Davison, Day, Dewey, Douglas, Fall River, Gregory, Haakon, Hand, Harding, Jerauld, Jones, Kingsbury, Lyman, Meade, Mellette, Potter, Stanley, Todd, Tripp, Walworth, Ziebach.
More Colorado flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile SPCO.
- iNaturalist, Sphaeralcea coccinea: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Sphaeralcea coccinea (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Colorado: Colorado noxious weed lists A, B and C (8 CCR 1206-2, eff. May 15, 2025).
- New Mexico: New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC).
- New Mexico: New Mexico Noxious Weed List (NM Department of Agriculture, updated June 2020).
- South Dakota: South Dakota statewide noxious weeds (ARSD 12:62:03:01.06).
- Montana: Montana noxious weed list (Admin. R. Mont. 4.5.206–4.5.210).
- Wyoming: Wyoming state designated noxious weeds (W.S. 11-5-102(a)(xi)), as listed by the Wyoming Weed & Pest Council.
- North Dakota: North Dakota state noxious weeds (N.D. Admin. Code 7-06-01-02), as listed by the ND Department of Agriculture.
- Nebraska: Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004).
- Nebraska: Nebraska noxious weeds (25 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 10, § 001.02).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Sphaeralcea coccinea (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Loren Cassin Sackett via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.