The Heat-Loving Flower That Birds Can't Resist

Living in an arid climate doesn't mean all you get to grow are cacti and succulents, especially if attracting birds is a top priority. There should be plenty of heat-tolerant perennials and shrubs on your must-have list too — like desert mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua), a plant that originates in the southwestern U.S. and Mexico. And since native plants are perfect for bringing birds to your yard, you can put this small shrub on the top of your wildlife garden list if your growing conditions are right.

Also known by other picturesque common names such as desert globemallow, desert hollyhock, and apricot mallow, this heat lover is a member of the mallow family related to hibiscus and okra. After its bowl-shaped flowers give way to seeds, birds such as sparrows, doves, and quails enjoy those seeds as a spring or summertime feast. With apricot, lavender, orange, or pink blooms and evergreen foliage reaching up to 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide, butterflies love this plant too.

To grow desert mallow in a habitat friendly to sparrows and other wild birds, first make sure that it will fit with your growing conditions. This plant will thrive in USDA hardiness zones 6 to 8 in gardens where soil is dry, alkaline, and fast draining. Gardeners should choose a location with full sun, sowing seeds in autumn or winter.

Desert mallow is drought tolerant once established, and can survive with a single monthly watering. But just because you're growing it for wildlife doesn't mean you have to let it get messy — plants can be pruned after blossoming to give them a compact shape. To create a bird friendly landscape with these flowers, add multiple desert mallow plants to your garden, and choose appropriate companion plants as well, such as agaves and yuccas. If you don't live in an arid climate, however, there are other shrubs that will attract birds to your yard for fun feathered sightings, such as American beautyberry and spicebush.