PlantFiles: Buffalo Rose, Purple Poppy Mallow, Wine Cups
Callirhoe involucrata

I encourage these to naturalize in my (hope-to-be-someday-be) grass-free, bee-friendly, low-mow yard with lots of white clover, various wild strawberries as well as 5-10 other types of native blooming groundcovers (which I don't know the names of yet) that bloom every color imaginable. Between them all, there is something tiny blooming most every freeze-free period of the year--poppy mallow are some of the earliest to start and latest to finish with the heaviest bloom all spring, when I actually mow around them while in bloom because they keep their little area weed-free. They will come back and bloom the next day even if mowed--but they are not invasive. I love to look down as I'm walking and see what all types of tiny flowers are going and what type of wildlife is enjoying them--these are 50-cent piece sized when fully open and are the star of the show. I also let them scramble around feet in any flower bed they want because their color combines with any color.

It is easily distinguished from the tall poppy mallow (Callirhoe leiocarpa) whose flowers are quite similar. Callirhoe involucrata tend to trail close to the ground; whereas, Callirhoe leiocarpa is a tall, lanky, upright plant. Callirhoe involucrata flowers have an epicalyx (involucral bracts) which is a whorl of small bracts(modified leaves) just below the calyx. Callirhoe leiocarpa flowers do not have these bracts. Callirhoe involucrata has evergreen foliage.

Wine Cups, Purple Poppy Mallow Callirhoe involucrata is Native to Texas and other States.

I am interested in propagating my plant from stem cuttings or seeds. I'm on the water in MA zone 7a.
One of the most charming plants in my garden. It crawls in and out amongst a bed of Lady's Mantle. The combination is a show stopper

This plant sprawls and doesn't cover the ground, so I would suggest filling in with something like lamb's ear planted around the tap root. I have fuschia flowers blooming on a couple of these already, in early April. The lamb's ear pops up very early, and helps fill in the ground between the sprawls of the callirhoe. This year I'm going to try interplanting shasta daisies and tahoka daisies with the poppy mallow, and some live-fast-die-fast blue flax, which won't survive the brutal Sacramento summer heat, but will self-seed. The planting area is a 150' long strip next to my driveway that I do not water unless we have a very prolonged heat wave, so I'm after no-care plants that I can ignore. The poppy mallow fits this bill.

Tempted to give neutral, but I love the plant. I started with 5 plants from seed, lost 2 in 1st year. They must be planted in situ very early so as to establish their long tap root. 3 have survived around 4 years, lost 2 of them poss. all the mole activity. One remaining, which I don't want to lose.
I took seed off 3 years ago, but they failed to grow well, perhaps should have put in the ground. I kept them inside over next winter as spindly small plants, they didn't make it. Not had any good seed since, mine hasn't self seeded. I have it in a semi-shaded spot at the top of a bank, it looks lovely trailing down. Will have to try in a sunnier spot, maybe too shady for it.

I have this growing in my outlawn area, between the sidewalk and street. It is one of the plants in this "experimental garden" that will tolerate the heavy salt spray. I planted 2" pots almost three years ago. Lots of de-icing salt, sun, and very silty soil over hard clay, and it performs beautifully. I will be adding more to achieve a ground cover effect, as it doesn't form much of a mat, rather sprawling on long stems, but I love the way the blossoms seem to pop up from nowhere among the other plants (mostly weeds at this point).

In Nebraska "cowboy rose" is the common name. It seems wide spread in the state, I have observed it wild on both very sandy soil and clay loams. It seems to be extremely drought tolerant, but I have not observed it on wet sites for performance. I have grown it in my garden for several years now. It will self seed, however is not what I would consider invasive. The growth habit is several loose growing vines up to 5 foot long that sort of drape themselves over surrounding foliage. A single plant will not cover the ground well, but if one has several close together the vines mat together and they will choke out almost all competition. The several vines originate from an edible turnip like structure that grows quite large over several years, I have observed roots 4 to 5 inches through. They will produce considerable seed. If you do not get real ambitious with the hoe, each year you will find seedling plant growing in the area. Leave them alone for 3 or 4 years and you can move them when they are an inch across and not lose a one. It reliably produces a beautiful crop of rose flowers for several weeks in July and August. The color is unlike practically anything else in the garden. Sioux Indians inhaled the smoke of dried for head colds. Cowboy Rose is a way cool plant and deserves being planted much more than it is at present.

Wine cups makes a great groundcover that will surround without smothering other plants. In a sunny southwestern exposure that never gets watered, it produces deep rose-pink flowers that get along very nicely with achillea, columbines, ice plant, daylilies, strawberries, and even some prickly pears. It is certainly not invasive in MA.