Flower profile
Cuban jute
Sida rhombifolia
Cuban jute (Sida rhombifolia) is a low shrub in the Malvaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–September across the U.S.
Cuban jute is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Louisiana it's most often seen in bloom in April–September.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Louisiana
Quick look
Sida rhombifolia, commonly known as arrowleaf sida, is a perennial or sometimes annual plant in the family Malvaceae, native to the Old World tropics and subtropics. Other common names include rhombus-leaved sida, Paddy's lucerne, jelly leaf, and also somewhat confusingly as Cuban jute, Queensland-hemp, and Indian hemp. Synonyms include Malva rhombifolia.
- It belongs to the Malvaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a annual, perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 20 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Louisiana. NatureServe
- In Louisiana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–September. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 543 research-grade sightings of it in Louisiana, ranking #64 among the 154 flowers on our Louisiana list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
In Louisiana, most flowering sightings come in April–September.
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: SNR, not yet ranked 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?
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.
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 cuban jute in 20 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia.
Louisiana counties with USDA records: Acadia, Allen, 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 Baton Rouge, West Carroll, West Feliciana, Winn.
Names, range and relatives
Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Hawaii: Probably introduced; Lower 48 states: Native; Navassa Island: Native; Pacific Basin (excluding Hawaii): Introduced; Puerto Rico: Native; U.S. Virgin Islands: Native.
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 361 counties across 18 states; the most are in Louisiana (64), Florida (58), North Carolina (42).
Other Sida on Bloomipedia (2): Yellow ʻilima, Bracted fanpetals.
More from the Malvaceae family (29 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Turk's cap, Common hibiscus, Swamp rose mallow, Velvetleaf, Dwarf mallow, Apricot globemallow, Checkerbloom, Scarlet globemallow.
More Louisiana flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile SIRH.
- iNaturalist, Sida rhombifolia: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Sida rhombifolia (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Sida rhombifolia (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Tyler Bishop via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.