Clarkia

( KLARK - ee - uh )

At-A-Glance Information

This genus of flowering annual plants need light shade in hot climates, but can get full sun otherwise. They need regular waterings, and their flowers will attract birds to your garden. Native to western South and North America but have naturalized themselves in California. They grow during the cooler months of the year and bloom in spring and early summertime. They are great as added color in border plantings, and will attract native pollinators to your garden. They are perfect for cut flower, meadow, cottage, woodland, or wildflower gardens, and can also be grown in beds and containers.

Clarkia Species and Varietals

The genus Clarkia includes over 40 species and is a member of the plant family Onagraceae. It was named for William Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition; he discovered the plant on the Pacific Coast of North America, and brought back specimens when he returned. The genus Godetia was absorbed by Clarkia, and some species in the genus are commonly referred to as Godetia. Clarkia grows best in zones A2, A3, and 1-24. For more growing information, see the descriptions below. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Clarkia affinis (Chaparral Clarkia)
This species is native to chaparral landscapes along the coast ranges in California, and produces a plant that reaches a little over a foot and a half in height at maturity. Flowers are bowl-shaped and pink to red, and may have darker markings. Individual plants reach up to 30 inches tall.

​Clarkia amoena (Godetia amoena, Godetia grandiflora) (Farewell-To-Spring, Godetia)
This species is native to British Columbia and California (as far south as the Bay Area). There are two wild types in this species; one that has coarse stems and is sprawling (4-5 inches tall) and one that has more slender stems and grows to 2.5 feet tall. Flowers are lavender to pink in color with crimson blotches. Other subspecies and varieties include 'Farewell to Spring' (commonly cultivated as a garden ornamental), 'Grace' (a wonderful choice for cut flowers), and 'Satin' (a more compact cultivar).

Clarkia arcuata (Glandular Clarkia)
This species is endemic to California, where it prefers to grow in chaparral or woodland areas in mountain foothills. Flowers are light pink and leaves are lance-shaped and narrow. Petals will sometimes have a reddish blotch towards the base. Plants typically reach a bit over three feet tall when mature and in bloom.

Clarkia australis (Small's Southern Clarkia)
This species of Clarkia is endemic to California and is considered endangered due to logging and other activities in its native range. This is an annual species, producing one flower stem at a time topped with an inflorescence of mottled or spotted lavender, red, or purple flowers. Plants reach just under three feet tall at maturity when in bloom.

Clarkia biloba (Twolobe Clarkia, Two Lobed Clarkia)
This species is native to California and reaches 3.3 feet tall at maturity. Flowers are pink to purple-red, and commonly have white marks at petal bases. The four flower petals are cut, forming an elongated heart shape. Flowers bloom in May, continuing through August.

Clarkia borealis (Northern Clarkia)
Endemic to California, this species grows well in the southern Klamath Ranges to the southernmost Cascade Ranges. Flowers are pink to purple in color, and are almost orchid-like in appearance, with protruding stamens and anthers.

Clarkia bottae (Punchbowl Godetia, Botta's Clarkia, Botta's Fairyfan, Hill Clarkia)
These plants produce spindly, waxy stems that can reach a bit over three feet tall at maturity. Flowers are bowl-shaped and lavender to pinkish, commonly seen with reddish speckles. Cultivar 'Lilac Pixie' is a commonly grown garden ornamental.

Clarkia breweri (Fairy Fans. Brewer's Clarkia)
This rare species of Clarkia is endemic to California and reaches 8 inches tall at maturity. Flowers are pink to lavender in color, and leaves are narrow and green.

Clarkia concinna (Red Ribbons)
This native of California gets to 1.5 feet tall and blooms in deep pink to lavender, often with light to white stripes. Seeds of these plants can be found in wildflower mixes. Sepals emerge and take a looping form, hence the common name 'Red Ribbons'.

Clarkia cylindrica (Speckled Fairyfan, Speckled Clarkia)
These Clarkias are native to California's southern coastal mountain ranges, western Transverse Ranges, and southern Sierra Nevadas. These plants reach 1.6 feet tall when mature, and flowers are pink, white, lavender, magenta, and reddish, often speckled with purple-pink.

Clarkia davyi (Davy's Fairyfan, Davy's Clarkia)
This species is native to California where it grows along beaches and coastal bluffs. These are annual herbaceous plants that can either grow upright or prostrate, and produce small pink flowers. 

Clarkia delicata (Delicate Clarkia, Campo Clarkia)
Native to Baja California and San Diego County, California, these plants produce pink to lavender blooms, often seen with white centers, 

Clarkia dudleyana (Dudley's Clarkia)
This species is native to California, and reaches about a foot and a half tall at maturity. Flowers are pink to reddish purple with fan-shaped petals. 

Clarkia epilobioides (Canyon Clarkia, Willow Herb Clarkia)
This species of Clarkia is native to California, Arizona, and Baja California, where it prefers to grow in woodland and chaparral natural landscapes. These plants reach about a foot and a half tall at maturity, and produce small white to cream-colored flowers that fade to pink as they age. 

Clarkia exilis (Kern River Clarkia, Slender Clarkia)
This uncommonly-seen species is native to western North America, and reaches about a foot and a half tall when mature. Leaves are green, and flowers are borne on slender stems. Blooms are comprised of slender petals with a wide tip, and are commonly magenta to pink and white. 

Clarkia franciscana (Presidio Clarkia)
This species is endemic to the San Francisco Bay Area, where it grows in five populations, located in the Presidio of San Francisco and Oakland. It is considered endangered, and reaches about 16 inches tall, producing white and pink blooms, often with red centers.

Clarkia gracilis (Slender Clarkia)
This species of wildflower is native to California, Oregon, and Washington, and produces an erect stem with sparse foliage. Bowl-shaped flowers are pink to lavender, with magenta-red or white markings at the petal bases (blotch color depends on the subspecies). 

Clarkia heterandra (Mountain Clarkia)
These plants grow naturally in the forests and woodlands of California, reaching about a foot and a half in height at maturity. Flowers are light pink to true pink and tiny.

Clarkia imbricata (Vine Hill Clarkia)
This species is endemic to Sonoma County, California, and is critically endangered due to development activities in its native range. Dense infloresences of pink to white flowers with magenta blotches at the petal bases are produced in spring and summer. Petals are frilly along the edges, giving them a somewhat tropical look. 

Clarkia jolonensis (Jolon Clarkia)
Endemic to Monterey County, California, this species produces a foot and a half tall plant with small pink to magenta flowers. These plants are considered endangered in their native range, due to development.

Clarkia lassenensis (Lassen Clarkia)
Named for Mount Lassen, California, this species is native to California, Oregon, and Nevada. These plants produce spindly reddish stems upon which lavender flowers with red bases bloom in late spring and early summertime. 

Clarkia lewisii (Lewis' Clarkia)
This species of Clarkia is endemic to Monterey and San Benito counties in California, and produces pink to lavender colored flowers that fade to white towards the centers and have magenta-red blotches at petal bases. 

Clarkia lingulata (Merced Clarkia)
This species, native to Mariposa County, California, produces an herbaceous, green-foliaged plant with pink flowers. These plants are considered endangered.

Clarkia mildrediae (Mildred's Clarkia)
This species is endemic to California, where it prefers to grow in forested regions in the southern Cascade Range to the northern Sierra Nevadas. These plants reach over a foot and a half tall at maturity, and produce flowers that are pink with reddish-magenta markings and protruding violet-pink stamens.

Clarkia modesta (Waltham Creek Clarkia)
Native to California's woody mountain ranges, these plants reach about a foot and a half tall. Flowers are light pink to lavender, with elongated petals that have pointed tips. Petals are sometimes seen with reddish flecks on them.

Clarkia mosquinii (Mosquin's Clarkia)
This species' native range includes the area between Butte and Plumas counties in northern California. These plants were believed to be extinct until its rediscovery in 1991. Mosquin's Clarkia is an erect plant reaching over a foot and a half tall when mature. Flowers are light to medium purple and are sometimes speckled with reddish markings.

Clarkia prostrata (Prostrate Clarkia)
Stems in this species reach out across open soil, lengthening to a foot and a half at maturity and sending out roots at nodes. Stems are somewhat fuzzy and reddish. Flowers are lavender-pink and petals can be fan-shaped or ovular, sometimes with a white or yellow marking and red spot at the base. These plants love growing along coastal bluffs close to forested areas.

​Clarkia pulchella (Pinkfairies, Ragged Robin, Deerhorn Clarkia)
This is a slender plant with an upright habit, native to the Pacific Northwest. It grows to 1.5 feet tall and its stems have a red tint to them. Single flowers; but some varieties have semi-double. Dwarf forms are also available.

Clarkia purpurea (Winecup Clarkia, Winecup Fairyfan, Purple Clarkia)
This species, native to western areas in North America, is found in a diverse range of habitats. This plant produces a thin, reddish stem topped with pink, purple, or deep wine-red flowers, often with a pink or red spot in the middle. 

Clarkia rhomboidea (Diamond Clarkia, Forest Clarkia)
Native to western North America, these plants are home in woodland and forest areas. Stems are spindly. and support thin-petaled pink to magenta flowers with blue-grey pollen. These plants reach about three feet tall at maturity, and often grow in groups.

Clarkia rostrata (Beaked Clarkia)
Endemic to the area around Mariposa County, this species of Clarkia reaches a little over a foot and a half tall at maturity, and flowers are red to purple in color with whitish centers.

Clarkia rubicunda (Ruby Chalice Clarkia, Farewell to Spring)
These plants are endemic to California's central coast region, and produce pink poppy-like blooms, sometimes with red centers. This species blooms in June and July. 

Clarkia similis (Ramona Clarkia)
Native to the southwestern, mountainous part of California, this species reaches over 3 feet tall when mature and produces pale pink flowers with white centers that are sometimes speckled with purple-red.

Clarkia speciosa (Redspot Clarkia)
This species is native to central and northern parts of California and has variable forms, depending on the subspecies. Clarkia speciosa immaculata, or Pismo Clarkia, is a critically endangered subspecies. 

Clarkia springvillensis (Springville Clarkia)
This species of Clarkia is native to Tulare County, California, where it grows around Springville. It is a critically endangered species, and reaches about three feet at maturity. Flowers are pink-lavender with reddish-magenta bases. This species was first formally described in 1964.

Clarkia tembloriensis (Temblor Range Clarkia)
These plants reach 1.6 feet tall when mature, and have grey-green foliage. Flowers are pinkish-lavender, petals darkening and thinning towards the center. 

​Clarkia unguiculata (Clarkia elegans) (Clarkia, Mountain Garland)
This California native flower has an upright habit and grows to 1-4 feet tall. Stems are reddish and flowers come in rose, purple, and white. Some varieties of the species have double flowers in colors like white, orange, salmon, crimson, purple, rose, pink, or creamy yellow. The flowers will attract bees to your garden. Cultivars include 'Albatross' (pictured; with double white flowers), 'Firebrand' (with brick red blooms), 'Gloriosa' (with red flowers), 'Lilac' (with deep pink-purple blooms), and 'Tall Double Mix' (a wildflower seed mix with double flowers in various colors).

Clarkia virgata (Sierra Clarkia)
This species is native to woodlands and forests in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California. Petals are lavender and white and are commonly speckled with red or purple. 

Clarkia williamsonii
​This species is native to the woodlands and foothills of the Sierra Nevadas in northern and central California. Each fan-shaped, wide petal is lavender-pink, marked with white on the bottom half and with a magenta-purple spot towards the center. The flower color can vary, and is sometimes solid deep red. 

Clarkia xantiana (Gunsight Clarkia)
This species, native to California's southern Sierra Nevada and Transverse Range foothills, produces interesting flowers with recurved petals. Each petal is lavender-pink and flowers are sometimes seen with a white-ringed magenta-red spot.

Caring for Clarkia

Clarkia flowers do not enjoy being transplanted, so sow their seeds in place in fall (in mild winter areas) or spring (in areas that have cooler temperatures). Sow seeds densely, and then thin the seedlings out when they emerge so that they are about 4-6 inches apart. A spot in the garden that receives full sun to partial shade is perfect for growing Clarkias. They will flower more the more sunlight they get during the day, but appreciate some late afternoon shade, especially in warm climates. They do best in sandy soil with no added fertilizer. As long as soil is well-draining, however, they will be generally happy. If local soils are particularly poor in nutrients or do not drain well, make sure to amend the planting area with plenty of organic compost before installing. Water newly planted Clarkias regularly to help them develop strong root systems. At maturity, these plants are drought-tolerant, able to get by on rainwater alone with a some supplemental waterings in the warmest months of the year. They do, however, enjoy supplemental waterings to bloom at their highest potential.

Clarkias do not need to be fertilized. As long as local soils aren't particularly poor in nutrients, they will get by. If these plants seem to be struggling or are not flowering well, they may appreciate some compost sprinkled around their planting area in early springtime to support the season's growth and flowering. Clarkias don't like overly rich soils, so make sure to not apply too much compost too frequently to the area, or they will not do well. Pruning Clarkias is simple: remove spent flowering heads if you'd like to neaten up their appearance or discourage reseeding. Otherwise, they do not need to be pruned, except in instances where they are getting leggy. In fall, the plants can be cut down after flowers fade.

Propagation

The best way to propagate Clarkia plants is to grow them from seed. To propagate your Clarkia flowers, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Clarkia by Seed
  1. Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
  2. Harvest your seeds. The seed pods are pretty easy to spot, they're left behind after flowers have faded. Once they have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will begin to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
  3. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 15-30 days from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
  4. Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.
Clarkia seed pods remain on flowerings stems after blooms fade.
Clarkia seeds are brown and small.

Problems and Pests

Clarkias are generally pest and disease free, but can suffer from time to time from:
  • Root Rot
  • Stem Rot
  • Aphids
  • Spider Mites
  • Whiteflies
For more information on these pests and diseases, consult the following pages:
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Gallery

Camellias are great candidates to be grown as container plants on your patio.
A small pollinator bed filled with Salvia, Clarkia, Gaillardia, and Wolfsbane.
This informal garden entrance is graced with Clarkias.
Mass-planting Clarkia is a common trend, and helps flowers remain upright during the growing season.
Some Clarkia seed mixes contain many different colors.
This monotone green bed is dressed up with a clump of Clarkia.
A wildflower garden in San Francisco featuring Golden Poppies, Clarkia, and various other native wildflowers.
Clarkia brings pollinators, like bees and butterflies, into the garden.
Double-blooming varieties are popular in cut flower gardens, and look great in fresh arrangements.

Videos

Learn how to sow Clarkia seeds in your garden.
All about Clarkias.​

Resources

Growing Clarkias
Clarkia Flower Care: How to Grow Clarkia Flowers
Wikipedia: Clarkia
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 251, Clarkia
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or photos you’d like to add to the gallery, please let me know by sending me a message using the button below!
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