Don’t Hesitate, Buy the Plant [Opinion]

Don’t Hesitate, Buy the Plant and Enjoy [Opinion]

It was a tiny twig of a plant with just a few fuzzy leaves and one solitary blossom, but I knew I had to buy it.

The plant, offered for sale by DesertStrawHouse plant nursery based in Sky Valley, had been set on a stone bench at the labyrinth at Unitarian Universalist Church of the Desert. It was part of a special plant sale in January 2024 to mark the dedication of our Sacred Grounds habitats. Its label said Palmer’s Indian Mallow and my mother’s family name was Palmer. Seemed a good enough reason to me for the purchase even if I didn’t know a thing about what it would eventually look like.

As I carted my new plant back to the car, someone jokingly said, “Report back on how that goes.”

Well, I’m ready to report back. Not only has the Indian Mallow thrived in our desert pollinator garden, it has energized my commitment to planting native and desert-friendly plants that can tolerate heat and provide homes for wildlife. The tiny Indian Mallow has grown to more than five feet and is covered in yellow cup-shaped flowers most of the year and is adored by the bees who that now swarm the garden.

I’ve since learned more about this amazing plant. According to the California Native Plant Society, Palmer’s Indian Mallow (Palmer’s Abutilon) is a relatively rare species of the Malvaceae Family native to the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico. It grows primarily on the eastern slopes of the Peninsular Range and the Western Sonora Desert, and in San Bernardino County in the low foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains.

Energized by the wild success of our Indian Mallow that now towers over our garden, we’ve planted more desert-friendly plants including desert milkweed (a Monarch Butterfly favorite), brittle bush and Perry’s penstemon. Hummingbirds zip by daily on their way to their favorite plants and sparrows chirp in the bushes. Butterflies visit frequently.

With a garden teaming with life, we feel a greater connection with the desert and a sense of responsibility for protecting desert wildlands and wildlife. We avoid using pesticides in our garden and work with our gardening team to protect bird nests. We support nonprofit groups that protect wild spaces.

Now when I look out my window and see the beauty of our desert garden, I wish we had made this move many years ago. There is great joy in seeing such magic just footsteps away.