Bloomipedia
Light poppymallow (Callirhoe alcaeoides)
Photo: Emily Geest via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Light poppymallow

Callirhoe alcaeoides

Light poppymallow (Callirhoe alcaeoides) is a flowering plant in the Malvaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly March–June across the U.S.

Native to Kansas

Light poppymallow is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

18states where USDA records it
298KS sightings*
828U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Kansas

Quick look

  • It belongs to the Malvaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 18 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Kansas. NatureServe
  • iNaturalist has 298 research-grade sightings of it in Kansas, ranking #94 among the 151 flowers on our Kansas list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month in Kansas (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (29 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
Kansas
No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe: S5, secure in Kansas.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AL (S2), AR (S1), KY (SX), LA (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

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 light poppymallow in 18 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin.

Kansas counties with USDA records: Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Barton, Bourbon, Brown, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Cowley, Crawford, Dickinson, Douglas, Edwards, Elk, Ellsworth, Franklin, Geary, Greenwood, Harper, Harvey, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewell, Johnson, Kingman, Labette, Lincoln, Linn, Lyon, Marion, McPherson, Meade, Miami, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morris, Neosho, Osage, Ottawa, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Reno, Republic, Riley, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Stafford, Sumner, Wabaunsee, Washington, Wilson, Woodson.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Sida alcaeoides.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 153 counties across 13 states; the most are in Kansas (58), Oklahoma (31), Nebraska (20).

Other Callirhoe on Bloomipedia (1): Winecup mallow.

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 Kansas flowers

Winecup mallow (Callirhoe involucrata)

Winecup mallow

Callirhoe involucrata

Native

🌼 Blooms in KS: May–July
Velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti)

Velvetleaf

Abutilon theophrasti

Introduced

🌼 Few flowering records in KS
Flower-of-an-hour (Hibiscus trionum)

Flower-of-an-hour

Hibiscus trionum

Introduced

🌼 Few flowering records in KS

Sources