Malvaceae
Sidalcea campestris

Meadow Checker Mallow

Clump of stout, erect, hairy, branched stems. Hairy petioles 4–8 in. long with dark green blades. Leaves round, divided palmately to narrow, toothed segments with sharply pointed tips. Pink or white flowers contained in densely hairy calyxes in a terminal raceme. Flower petals about 3/4 in. long. Both female and bisexual plants, female flowers smaller and lack anthers. Grows in fields, grassy hillsides, along roadsides. Similar west-side species with red, lavender, or purple flowers: S. nelsoniana, with petals of bisexual flowers 1/3 to just more than 1/2 in., calyx 1/5 in. long; S. cusickii, with petals of bisexual flowers 1/2–3/4 in., calyx with prominent veins, lobes widened above base; S. virgata, with bisexual flower petals 2/3–1 in., calyx not noticeably veined.

  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Flowering Time: Late Spring, Early Summer
  • Life Cycle: Perennial
  • Height: 2--6 feet
  • Habitat: Meadow
  • Found In:
  • Native: Yes

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