Red-Flowered Mallow, Carolina Mallow, Bristle Mallow Care

Modiola is a monotypic genus of plants in the mallow family containing the single species Modiola caroliniana, which is known by several common names including bristly-fruited mallow, Carolina bristlemallow, babosilla, and redflower mallow.

The stems are prostrate, hairy and can root at the nodes. The leaves are ovate to broad-ovate alternate and are 3-4cm long and 2-3cm wide. They are reniform (kidney-shaped), round or triangular in shape with 3 to 7 toothed lobes. The solitary flowers have 5 petals and are borne on peduncles (stalks) in the leaf axils. They are predominantly orange-red or red. Five hairy green sepals are fused at the base. Fruit is a wheel-shaped schizocarp, 7-9 mm in diameter which splits at maturity into 16-22 two-seeded segments (each segment is called a mericarp).

This plant might be poisonous

How to get rid of: Mechanical removal is often the most desirable. This can be accomplished with sharp hoes, shovels, or hand pulling.