Desert Globemallow grow in a group on Black Mesa, Mazatazal Mountains. Arizona. Sphaeralcea ambigua, commonly known as Desert Globemallow or Apricot Mallow, is a member of the genus Sphaeralcea in the mallow family (Malvaceae). It is a perennial shrub native to parts of California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. The leaves are fuzzy, deeply lobed, and on long stems, the number of which increase with age. The fruit is a brown capsule containing numerous seeds. The flowers are apricot to orange in color and bloom in the spring. It grows well in alkaline soil, both sandy or clay, usually in the company of creosote bush scrub.