Scarlet Globemallow in suburban Calgary

Observation by Sara Jordan-McLachlan:

In July 2019 I was walking along a route in my community where I often go to look at wildflowers and came across two patches of scarlet globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea) about two hundred metres apart. One was in a patch of non-native grass that is groomed by a nearby homeowner and the other was next to a footpath in a dry mostly native prairie grass field. I have lived in this area for over 10 years and thought I had a good idea of what plants were in the area, so I was surprised to discover an uncommon species right in my backyard. Royer & Dickinson (2007) and the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI) note that this plant occurs in the grassland and parkland natural regions that Calgary lies within, but surveys conducted by ABMI between 2003-2017 did not find any samples in the south Calgary area where I discovered it (ABMI, 2019; Government of Alberta, 2009).

5/20/2020 Update Sara Jordan-McLachlan writes:

In consultation with Sarah Nevill, the Executive Direction/Invasive Plants Program Coordinator of the Weaselhead/Glenmore Park Preservation Society regarding the observation, she suggested that increased seed dispersal in the area, probably assisted by wildlife, has led to the appearance of scarlet globemallow in a more conspicuous place. She notes that the plant is listed as a species that is found in the Weaselhead area she surveys each year, however she herself has never come across it and it is thought to be uncommon. Further consultation on her part with botanist friends suggested that because of their ability to spread by their roots, they may not need assistance from wildlife to spread. Furthermore, botany experts wondered if seeds may have come in on either hiking boots or with construction soil brought from elsewhere.

References:

Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute. 2019. Scarlet Mallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea). Retrieved from: https://abmi.ca/home/data-analytics/biobrowser- home/species-profile?tsn=99003775

Government of Alberta (2009). Profile of the South Saskatchewan Region. Alberta. Retrieved from: https://landuse.alberta.ca/LandUse%20Documents/Profile%20of%20the %20South%20Saskatchewan%20Region%20-%202009-11.pdf

Royer, F., & Dickinson, R. (2007). Plants of Alberta : trees, shrubs, wildflowers, ferns, aquatic plants & grasses. Edmonton, AB: Lone Pine Publishing