Also known as purple poppy mallow, wine cup is a herbaceous perennial native to much of central US where it grows in medium dry soils along roadsides, on hillsides, and in fields, prairies, and shrublands. The plant is low-growing and mat-forming so can be used as a groundcover. The gray-green foliage is evergreen or semi-evergreen and consists of deeply lobed leaves. The cup-shaped flowers that appear from spring to summer are 2.5 inches wide and have five bright cerise petals with white markings at the base. The long carrot-like taproot gives the plant good drought tolerance but makes it difficult to transplant. The genus name, Callirhoe, is from the Greek word Καλλιρό ( Kallirhoe) meaning beautiful flow or beautiful stream and is the name of one ofthe Oceanids, daughters of the Titans, Oceanus and Tethys.
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Bloom: Cup-shaped five-petaled flowers 2.5” across with cerise petals marked with white at the base blooms spring into summer if deadheaded.
Size: 6-12” H x 6-36” W
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Average, dry to medium moist, well-drained
Hardiness: USDA Zones 4-8
Care: Low maintenance
Pests and Diseases: Rust and root rot in wet weather
Propagation: Seed, softwood cuttings
Companion plants: Artemisia ‘Silver Brocade’, yucca, dwarf spurges, sedums
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Karen Meyers