Carried by 1 nurseries
View Availability at NurseryData provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria
View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora
Sidalcea calycosa is a native annual herb in the Malvaceae (Mallow) family that grows in central and northern California from the coast to the central valley and Sierra foothills. It tends to grow in marshes, vernal pools and other wet places, at elevations from sea level to 3,900 feet. There are two recognized subspecies. Ssp. rhizomata (Pt. Reyes Checkerbloom) is a rare plant found only along the coast in Marin, Sonoma and Mendocino counties. Sidalcea calycosa is most often seen as an annual, but if conditions are right it may become a weak perennial growing from a rhizome. In the garden it needs a very wet area and not too much competition. If conditions are good it will spread.
Annual herb
1 - 3 ft Tall
Spreading
Fast
Summer Semi-deciduous
Pink
Spring, Summer, Fall
Groundcover
Partial Shade, Full Sun
Moderate
Keep moist
Easy
Tolerates cold to 20° F
Fast, Medium, Slow, Standing
Tolerant of a variety of garden soils as long as sufficient moisture is available.
Cut back at the end of autumn once flowering has completed to encourage more blooming.
Propagate by dividing by the rhizomes. Divide plants in the spring (cooler areas) or the autumn in (warmer areas).
Coastal marshes and wet places, including vernal pools.
Coastal Salt Marsh, Foothill Woodland, Northern Oak Woodland, Wetland-Riparian
Other wet-loving plants that won't be covered by this spreading plant. Consider ferns (Polystichum munitum, Adiantum capillus-veneris), riparian trees (Alnus rubra), or rushes (Cyperus eragrostis).
Butterflies and moths supported
0 confirmed and 5 likely
White Checkered-Skipper
Pyrgus albescens
Common Checkered-Skipper
Pyrgus communis
Two-banded Checkered-Skipper
Pyrgus ruralis
Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus