Common names:
Desert rosemallow, Coulter's hibiscus
Family:
Scientific name:
Hibiscus coulteri
Main flower color:
Range:
South and central Arizona, Otero County in south New Mexico and far west Texas
Height:
Up to 3 feet
Habitat:
Deserts, canyons, rocky hillsides
Leaves:
One inch long, ovate (at base); those higher up the stem are divided into three narrow lobes
Season:
April to August
The white or pale yellow flowers of hibiscus coulteri are formed of five broad, fan-shaped, slightly overlapping petals colored deep red at the base. At the center are many small stamens and five dark anthers, while a ring of narrow, outwards-pointing green bracts is found underneath. Flowers are about 2 inches in diameter and occur singly at the end of thin stalks, on a lightly-branched, shrub-like plant that is quite inconspicuous when not in bloom. Stems are rigid and woody. Flowers can appear any time of year, following significant rainfall.
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