Flower profile

Winecup mallow

Callirhoe involucrata

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

Native in the lower 48

Winecup mallow is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–June.

22states where USDA records it

3Bloomipedia state lists include it

9,412U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma

Quick look

Callirhoe involucrata is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common names purple poppy-mallow, winecup and buffalo rose. It is native to the Great Plains of the United States and adjacent areas in northern Mexico.
From Wikipedia's article Callirhoe involucrata, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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 22 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska. ^NatureServe
In Kansas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. ^iNaturalist
In Oklahoma, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–July. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as red. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as mid spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 1 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 873 research-grade sightings of it in Kansas, ranking #16 among the 151 flowers on our Kansas list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 745 research-grade sightings of it in Oklahoma, ranking #41 among the 159 flowers on our Oklahoma list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 372 research-grade sightings of it in Nebraska, ranking #31 among the 147 flowers on our Nebraska list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,799 records)

Bloom time in the 3 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Kansas	Native	May–July	873
Oklahoma	Native	April–July	745
Nebraska	Native	June–August	372

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: SNR, not yet ranked in Kansas.
Oklahoma: No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oklahoma.
Nebraska: Not listed Not on Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Nebraska. ^{163 NAC 4-004}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: LA (SH). (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 edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 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 winecup mallow in 22 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Wyoming.

Kansas counties with USDA records: Barber, Barton, Butler, Chase, Cheyenne, Clark, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Comanche, Cowley, Decatur, Dickinson, Douglas, Edwards, Ellis, Ellsworth, Finney, Ford, Franklin, Geary, Gove, Graham, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Hamilton, Harper, Harvey, Haskell, Hodgeman, Jefferson, Jewell, Kearny, Kingman, Kiowa, Lane, Leavenworth, Lincoln, Logan, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Meade, Mitchell, Morris, Morton, Nemaha, Ness, Norton, Osborne, Ottawa, Pawnee, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Rawlins, Reno, Republic, Rice, Riley, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Saline, Scott, Sedgwick, Seward, Shawnee, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, Sumner, Thomas, Trego, Wabaunsee, Wallace, Washington, Wichita, Woodson, Wyandotte.

Oklahoma counties with USDA records: Alfalfa, Beaver, Beckham, Bryan, Caddo, Carter, Comanche, Cotton, Creek, Custer, Ellis, Garfield, Grady, Grant, Greer, Harper, Johnston, Kay, Kingfisher, Logan, Major, Marshall, McClain, Murray, Noble, Oklahoma, Payne, Pontotoc, Roger Mills, Stephens, Texas, Tulsa, Washita, Woods, Woodward.

Nebraska counties with USDA records: Adams, Brown, Buffalo, Cuming, Custer, Dawson, Dodge, Dundy, Franklin, Furnas, Hall, Harlan, Hitchcock, Howard, Jefferson, Kearney, Keith, Lancaster, Lincoln, Logan, McPherson, Nuckolls, Otoe, Phelps, Platte, Richardson, Sherman, Thayer, Webster.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Winecup mallow a high shade tolerance, medium drought tolerance and medium moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 5.5 to 7.5 and winter lows down to -38 °F.

Shade tolerance: High
Drought tolerance: Medium
Moisture use: Medium
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium
Soil pH range: 5.5 to 7.5
Minimum temperature tolerated: -38 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 95
Annual precipitation range: 10 to 36 inches
Minimum root depth: 12 inches
Salinity tolerance: Low
Fertility requirement: Medium
Growth rate: Moderate
Lifespan: Moderate
Active growth period: Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed: Brown · Spring to Summer
Can be propagated by: cuttings, seed, sprigs
Commercial availability: Contracting Only

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for CAIN2. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 338 counties across 20 states; the most are in Texas (130), Kansas (85), Oklahoma (35).

Other Callirhoe on Bloomipedia (1): Light poppymallow.

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

Velvetleaf

Abutilon theophrasti

Introduced

🌼 Few flowering records in KS

Flower-of-an-hour

Hibiscus trionum

Introduced

🌼 Few flowering records in KS

Light poppymallow

Callirhoe alcaeoides

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in KS

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CAIN2.
iNaturalist, Callirhoe involucrata: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Callirhoe involucrata (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Kansas: Kansas noxious weeds (K.A.R. 4-8-44, as amended 2026).
Oklahoma: Oklahoma Noxious Weed Law (2 O.S. § 3-220).
Nebraska: Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004).
Nebraska: Nebraska noxious weeds (25 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 10, § 001.02).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Callirhoe involucrata (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Linda Jo Conn via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.