Description
Fringed Poppy Mallow is a tall, perennial plant with a spindly appearance. Native Americans used a decoction of the roots as a pain killer. Native Americans and early European settlers also ate the roots of poppy mallows. The common name’s reference to being fringed refers to the fringed flower petal edges. Callirhoe is derived from a Greek work meaning beautiful flowering, and it is a name shared with an ocean nymph in Greek mythology. The species name refers to the highly divided leaves with 5-7 finger-like lobes.
Wildlife notes
Bees are important pollinators of this species. The foliage is quite palatable to many species of mammals including deer and rabbits.
Landscaping notes
Native Americans evidently appreciated the beauty of the flowers of some of the poppy mallow species, and Fringed Poppy Mallow is a beautiful species to add to a landscape. The flowers appear suspended in mid-air as the stems are small and hard to see. It is best suited to drier sites; on sites with more moisture it tends to fall over.