Bloomipedia
Winecup mallow (Callirhoe involucrata)
Photo: Linda Jo Conn via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Winecup mallow

Callirhoe involucrata

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–July.

22states
3of our state lists
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.

  • 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–August. 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 109 flowers on our Kansas list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 745 research-grade sightings of it in Oklahoma, ranking #41 among the 110 flowers on our Oklahoma list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 372 research-grade sightings of it in Nebraska, ranking #31 among the 108 flowers on our Nebraska list. iNaturalist

Winecup mallow gift ideas

Handmade winecup mallow gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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    Winecup mallow art print

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,799 records)
Bloom time in each of our 3 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
KansasNativeMay–July873
OklahomaNativeApril–August745
NebraskaNativeMay–August372

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.

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.

More Kansas flowers

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🌼 Few flowering records in KS
Scarlet globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea)

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Flower-of-an-hour (Hibiscus trionum)

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🌼 Blooms in KS: July–September

Sources