Rose Checkermallow Seeds (Sidalcea malviflora)

One of Showiest Wildflowers for our Region and an Extraordinary Butterfly Host Plant.

It’s seems too good to be true that plant as beautiful as rose checkermallow would also be easy to grow from seed. And yet, this plant tends to germinate without much fuss. That said, we recommend starting it in containers until it is big enough to transplant, allowing it to avoid competition from larger plants during its seedling stage.

This long-lived, 2-foot tall perennial graces the world with highly ornamental clusters of bright-pink flowers on strong, upright stems — looking like a miniature version of the common garden hollyhock.

Rose checkermallow is a supreme butterfly host plant. It’s a caterpillar factory for western ladies (Vanessa annabella), common checkered skippers (Pyrgus communis), two-banded checkered skippers (Pyrgus ruralis), grey hairstreaks (Strymon melinus), and white checkered skippers (Pyrgus albescens). All of these are species that you typically won’t find in an average yard of ugly turf and alien flowers, but any gardener with a decent landscape of native plants might be able to coax them into paying a visit. Along with butterflies, this is a nice little hummingbird plant. Unfortunately it is also desirable browsing for deer (fencing is recommended!).

Rose checkermallow is native from Washington to California, and is plant that loves sunny damp meadows.

Approximately 100 seeds (0.6 grams).