Bloomipedia
Bristly mallow (Modiola caroliniana)
Photo: Joseph Aubert via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Bristly mallow

Modiola caroliniana

Not native to Louisiana

Bristly mallow is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Louisiana it's most often seen in bloom in March–May.

21states
505LA sightings*
9,889U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Louisiana

Quick look

Modiola is a monotypic genus of plants in the mallow family containing the single species Modiola caroliniana, which is known by several common names including bristly-fruited mallow, Carolina bristlemallow, babosilla, and redflower mallow. It is a creeping perennial which is probably native to South America but which is widely naturalized throughout the tropical and warmer temperate world.

  • It belongs to the Malvaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a annual, biennial, perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 21 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as not native to Louisiana. NatureServe
  • In Louisiana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 505 research-grade sightings of it in Louisiana, ranking #67 among the 109 flowers on our Louisiana list. iNaturalist

Bristly mallow gift ideas

Handmade bristly mallow gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

  • Placeholder

    Bristly mallow art print

    Gift pick coming soon

  • Placeholder

    Bristly mallow greeting card

    Gift pick coming soon

  • Placeholder

    Bristly mallow mug

    Gift pick coming soon

  • Placeholder

    Bristly mallow earrings

    Gift pick coming soon

  • Placeholder

    Bristly mallow embroidery pattern

    Gift pick coming soon

  • Placeholder

    Bristly mallow sticker

    Gift pick coming soon

When does it bloom?

In Louisiana, most flowering sightings come in March–May.

Flowering records by month in Louisiana (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (63 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Louisiana
No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Louisiana.
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records bristly mallow in 21 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia.

Louisiana counties with USDA records: Acadia, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, Caldwell, Cameron, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Iberia, Iberville, Jackson, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, LaSalle, Lafayette, Lafourche, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Tensas, Terrebonne, Union, Vermilion, Vernon, Washington, Webster, West Carroll, West Feliciana, Winn.

More Louisiana flowers

Turk's cap (Malvaviscus arboreus)

Turk's cap

Malvaviscus arboreus

Native

🌼 Blooms in LA: March–December
Saltmarsh mallow (Kosteletzkya pentacarpos)

Saltmarsh mallow

Kosteletzkya pentacarpos

Native

🌼 Blooms in LA: May–November
Cuban jute (Sida rhombifolia)

Cuban jute

Sida rhombifolia

Native

🌼 Blooms in LA: April–October

Sources

  • USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile MOCA.
  • iNaturalist, Modiola caroliniana: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
  • Wikipedia, Modiola (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
  • USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
  • NatureServe Explorer, Modiola caroliniana (global and state ranks).
  • Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
  • Photo: Joseph Aubert via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.