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The Natives are Friendly
Winecup
The Natives are Friendly
Winecup
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There are many plants that easily make the transition from Prairie plant to Native Texas bedding plant.
One of my “perennial” favorites is a member of the Mallow family. It is wide-spread through-out Texas
and much of the Great Plains and provides the modern viewer with true beauty. Earlier peoples not
only enjoyed this wildflower’s form, but also its function. For it is a source of highly nutritional food
source for man, as well as, countless beneficial insects and higher life forms. It was also used by
indigenous peoples as a medicinal plant. Called pezhuta nantiazilia or “smoke treatment medicine”
by the Lakota people.
Now days most of us don’t speak much Lakota, so we use the much simpler name of Winecup. The
botanists name for this plant, Callirhoe involucrata, might be even harder to pronounce than the Lakota
name.
One of my “perennial” favorites is a member of the Mallow family. It is wide-spread through-out Texas
and much of the Great Plains and provides the modern viewer with true beauty. Earlier peoples not
only enjoyed this wildflower’s form, but also its function. For it is a source of highly nutritional food
source for man, as well as, countless beneficial insects and higher life forms. It was also used by
indigenous peoples as a medicinal plant. Called pezhuta nantiazilia or “smoke treatment medicine”
by the Lakota people.
Now days most of us don’t speak much Lakota, so we use the much simpler name of Winecup. The
botanists name for this plant, Callirhoe involucrata, might be even harder to pronounce than the Lakota
name.
As the common name implies this low
trailing plant is covered with deep dark
purplish red or wine colored cup shaped
blooms. It will grow in most soil types in
either the sun or shade and can be found in
the wild though-out most of Texas.
Winecups usually grow from one foot to
eighteen inches tall and from twenty-four to
thirty-six inches wide. This makes them
great to use as a perennial border plants in
the flower bed or as an interesting and
beautiful hanging basket. In the wild
Winecups generally bloom from April through
the end of June or early July, depending on
how quickly our summer becomes hot and
dry. In the home landscape the bloom time
can be greatly extended by dead-heading the
old blooms and giving the plants occasional
supplemental watering.
trailing plant is covered with deep dark
purplish red or wine colored cup shaped
blooms. It will grow in most soil types in
either the sun or shade and can be found in
the wild though-out most of Texas.
Winecups usually grow from one foot to
eighteen inches tall and from twenty-four to
thirty-six inches wide. This makes them
great to use as a perennial border plants in
the flower bed or as an interesting and
beautiful hanging basket. In the wild
Winecups generally bloom from April through
the end of June or early July, depending on
how quickly our summer becomes hot and
dry. In the home landscape the bloom time
can be greatly extended by dead-heading the
old blooms and giving the plants occasional
supplemental watering.
Winecups are easily transplanted from starter pots found at local nurseries or grown at home from
seed. Or for large areas and flower beds the seed can be planted directly in the soil. The best times
for sowing Winecups seeds is either the late summer to early fall or in the spring time .
These drought hardy plants can tolerate both extreme heat and bitter cold. They rarely have problems
with insects or disease and add lasting beauty to your landscape.
seed. Or for large areas and flower beds the seed can be planted directly in the soil. The best times
for sowing Winecups seeds is either the late summer to early fall or in the spring time .
These drought hardy plants can tolerate both extreme heat and bitter cold. They rarely have problems
with insects or disease and add lasting beauty to your landscape.