Overview
Callirhoe involucrata, commonly called wine cups, purple poppy mallow, or buffalo rose, is a native North American member of the Malvaceae (mallow family) hardy in zones 4a to 8b. This is a small genus of a dozen species that are most diverse in the central United States. Winecups grows wild in dry, rocky areas, such as prairies, pastures, open woods, and roadsides from southern Canada, south to Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah. This drought-tolerant perennial produces showy flowers along its sprawling stems all summer long. Although it only reaches 4 to 6 inches tall, plants may appear taller as it often grows up and is supported by neighboring plants. Stems can spread 3 feet or more, and stems can be pinched in early summer to keep plants more compact.
The magenta-colored, chalice-shaped flowers are 1½ to 2½ inches wide with a white spot at the base of the five petals. The solitary, upward-facing blossoms open in the morning, close in the evening and remain closed after pollination. Fruits consist of 15 to 25 kidney-shaped segments stacked together, with each segment containing a single seed.
The rounded, hairy leaves are deeply palmately lobed, and unlike most heat and drought-tolerant plants, are deep green rather than grey or silver. In spring, the foliage emerges from the long, woody tap root that can be up to 5 inches in diameter, with the ground-hugging stems eventually growing about 3 feet long.
The variety tenuissima, Mexican wine cups, is native to higher elevations in the mountains of Mexico. It has the same sprawling habit and cleft leaves but the flowers are a lighter lavender-purple.
Landscape Use of Winecups
In the garden, winecups are ideal for the informal border, and look great spilling over a rock wall or tumbling down a bank. Because of their growth habit, many plants need to be planted together to create a mat of foliage for a groundcover. The long, trailing stems look best growing among nearby plants and won’t smother other plants. The intense wine-red blooms are a striking contrast when rambling through Missouri primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa) with its lemon yellow flowers. They also combine well with lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina), yarrow (Achillea), columbine (Aquilegia species), daylily (Hemerocallis species), strawberries, or even prickly pear cactus (Opuntia species). They look very natural interplanted with short grasses, reminiscent of their prairie heritage, and are an excellent addition to native plant gardens, wild gardens, and naturalized areas.
Winecups are easy to grow in full sun in well-drained sandy or loamy soils but tolerate clay and infertile soils. The plants are drought tolerant when established, and will thrive in hot south or west facing beds. The plants die back completely in winter and re-emerge from the crown in spring.
Winecups has few pest problems, although crown rot may occur in poorly drained soils. Rabbits are quite fond of the leaves. Winecups is a larval host for gray hairstreak caterpillars.
Propagating Winecups
C. involucrata can be grown from seed, and it is commonly is available as transplants. If attempting to grow from seed, germination will be improved by scarification. This can be accomplished by pouring hot (190 °F) water over the seed allowing them to soak overnight. Provide a period of cold, moist stratification for 30 days after hot water scarification.
Seed can be sown outdoors in late summer or early fall about 1/8 inch deep to germinate the following spring. The plants self-sow under the right conditions, but transplanting can be difficult because of the tap root.
Author: Susan Mahr, University of Wisconsin—Madison
Reviewers: Allen Pyle, Horticulture Outreach Specialist, UW—Madison Extension, Bruce Spangenberg, Horticulture Outreach Specialist, UW—Madison Extension
Revised: September 2026
