Very drought resistant; loses most of its leaves before dry weather begins.
Native Americans consumed scarlet globemallow roots during periods of food shortage. The Cheyenne made a tea of ground roots, stems and leaves to mix with other medicines to make them more palatable. The Comanche used a scarlet globemallow infusion to treat swellings, and the Dakota chewed the plant and applied it as a salve for wounds and sores.
Adapted to dry open prairies with sandy or gravelly soils.
