Winecup -- Callirhoe involucrata (Malvaceae)

This is the first of a week of wildflowers here on Hill Country Mysteries. Every day for the next week I'll be posting posies. Each post will include a link to the Lady Bird Wildflower page for the plant in case you'd like more information.

The Hill Country is well known for wonderful wildflowers. This year our early bloomers were scarce because of the drought so there were few bluebonnets or Indian paintbrush. But we've had three rains in the last six weeks, which have given rise to later blooms and I want you to enjoy them with us.

Winecup is one of my favorites but isn't plentiful in our area, probably due to deer with a side of drought.

I planted a couple of tubers last fall out back by the dry creekbed, away from the deer path. And I sprayed them with Bobbex, an organic product that deters most nibblers. As a side-note, I have no vested interest in Bobbex. I just like the way it works--particularly the rabbit formulation, which is three times stronger than the deer product.

Even so, I didn't really expect the tiny plants to make it in the drought...but the hardy little perennials held on and now there are a sprinkling of glowing flowers.  And I feel a lift of hope every time I walk down that path.