Callirhoe involucrata - PURPLE POPPY MALLOW

Pretty native wildflower for sunny and dry soil.

Also called "winecup" according to the shape of blooms. Forms up to 3' wide and less than 1' tall ground covering mounds. Divided green leaves, magenta flowers (up to 2.5" in diameter) appear in May and June and close down in the evenings (and stay closed after being pollinated).

Full sun, medium to dry soil, prefers drier infertile, lean, rocky, gritty or sandy soils (amend your heavy soil with sand or fine gravel). It will grow fairly well in average soils and dry clay too.

Plant has tap root that allows to be very tough and drought tolerant, but also difficult to transplant - choose the place for planting wisely.

Native perennial to Central USA and some states of Midwest, see the USDA distribution map.

Hardy in zones 4 to 8.

Pollinated by the native bees, caterpillars of Checkered Skipper and Gray Hairstreak Butterfly can occasionally feed on foliage, while deer, rabbits, groundhog are readily browsing on it's leaves.

Black walnut tolerant plant.

Groundcover for both formal/conventional gardens and natural gardens - for front of the borders, rock gardens, native plant gardens, wild gardens, pollinator gardens or naturalized areas and meadows. In good conditions will selfseed.

Combine with perennials like Asclepias (A. tuberosa, A. verticillata), Amsonia, Baptisia, Euphorbia corollata, Gaura, Phlox (P. pilosa, P. subulata, P. nivalis), shorter cultivars of Liatris, iris x germanica (bearded Iris), Lavandula, Nepeta, Salvia nemorosa hybrids, and grasses like Boutelloua, Carex bicknellii, Koeleria cristata, Schizachyrium scoparium, Sporobolis heterolepis or Stipa tenuissima.

Picture copyright : peganum, Commons Wikipedia

Pot size : square 3.5" x 4" deep perennial pot