Abutilon palmeri, Palmer's Indian Mallow
Scientific Name: Abutilon palmeri
Common Name: Palmer's Indian Mallow
Also Called: Indian Mallow, Palmer Indian Mallow, Superstition Mallow
Family: Malvaceae, Globe Mallow Family
Synonyms: ()
Status: Native
Duration: Perennial
Size: Up to 5 feet tall or more (8') and up to 5 feet wide.
Growth Form: Shrub or subshrub; densely rounded, heavy stellate pubescence, hairs soft or bristly, stems also pubescent.
Leaves: Green or bluish gray-green above and below; alternate, leaves velvety, heart (cordate) shaped, leaves ¾ to almost 2 inches wide, margins serrate.
Flower Color: Yellow or orange; showy, about 1 inch across, corolla with 5 petals, petals cup-shaped, fruits are hairy similar to foliage, multi-parted with 7 to 10 segments.
Flowering Season: March to May or later following decent monsoon rainfall; April to May in California.
Elevation: 1,000 to 3,000 feet.
Habitat Preferences: Dry rocky slopes; in California on dry mostly east-facing mountain slopes and creosote bush communities.
Recorded Range: Palmer's Indian Mallow is found in the southwestern states of; California, southwest, (San Diego County) and southern and southwest Arizona in Cochise, Maricopa, Pima and Yuma counties. It is also native to the Sonoran Desert in Baja California and Northwestern Mexico.
North America & US County Distribution Map for Abutilon palmeri.
U.S. Weed Information: No information available.
Invasive/Noxious Weed Information: No information available.
Wetland Indicator: No information available.
Threatened/Endangered Information: No information available.
Genus Information: 27 species in Abutilon throughout the United States and Canada.
The Plant List includes 216 accepted species for the genus Abutilon.
Comments: Palmer's Indian Mallow is widely grown as an ornamental shrub and generally available through nurseries that specialize in desert plants.