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Elegant Clarkia
( Clarkia unguiculata )
Clarkia unguiculata
More Photos at CalPhotos
More Info at Jepson eFlora
Calflora
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About Elegant Clarkia (Clarkia unguiculata)
20 Nurseries Carry This Plant
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Elegant clarkia (
Clarkia unguiculata
) is an annual wildflower in the Evening-Primrose family (Onagraceae). It is endemic (limited) to California, but is often sold in wildflower seed mixes throughout the country. Elegant clarkia has tall, thin stems, narrow leaves, and four spade-shaped petals in various shades of pink. Butterflies, moths, and bees are attracted to its flowers. It blooms in summer, when many wildflowers are finished for the year.
Another popular name is woodland clarkia, and its natural habitat is indeed open woodlands. It usually is found growing in oak woodlands or mixed evergreen forest, with native grasses and other wildflowers that appreciate part shade. Sow seeds in fall and let the rain do the rest. Allow to self-sow in fall before cutting back dead stocks. Grow this clarkia in the middle or back of a flower bed where its tall, whimsical flowers make a charming backdrop. Or create a mini-meadow under an oak tree with native bunchgrasses, wild onion, white globe lily, and purple chinese houses.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Annual herb
Size
3.3 ft tall
3 ft wide
Form
Upright Columnar
Growth Rate
Fast
Fragrance
Slight
Flower Color
Pink, Red
Flowering Season
Summer, Fall
Wildlife Supported
Insects, especially bees
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 2
confirmed
, 3
likely
* )
SHOW ALL
Clark's Day Sphinx Moth
Proserpinus clarkiae
Proserpinus clarkiae
Mariposa Forester
Alypia mariposa
Alypia mariposa
*
White-lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata
Hyles lineata
*
Pacific Green Sphinx Moth
Proserpinus lucidus
Proserpinus lucidus
*
Aetole extraneella
Aetole extraneella
Landscaping Information
Sun
Full Sun, Part Shade
Moisture
Low
Summer Irrigation
Never irrigate once established
Nurseries
Carried by 20
Ease of Care
Very Easy
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 10° F
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium, Slow
Soil Description
Adaptable. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0
Common uses
Butterfly Gardens, Bee Gardens
Companion Plants
Elegant
Clarkia
occurs as an understory plant with oaks and pines. Other understory plants that occur with it include various native grasses, Mariposa Lilies (Calochortus spp.),
Western Houndstongue
(
Cynoglossum grande
),
Blue-eyed Grass
and
Yellow-eyed Grass
(Sisyrinchium spp.), and other annual wildflowers
Propagation
?
Because this is an annual, it is best propagated from seed in fall in an area that has already been cleared of weeds. A very light layer of organic mulch will allow seedlings to push through. It will typically reseed itself each year.
Sunset Zones
?
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6*, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Natural Setting
Site Type
Woodlands
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 8.1" - 72.0", Summer Precipitation: 0.13" - 1.98", Coldest Month: 24.6" - 55.5", Hottest Month: 45.5" - 79.8", Humidity: 0.41" - 27.82", Elevation: 7" - 11310"
Alternative Names
Common Names
: Woodland Clarkia
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Elegant Clarkia
Clarkia unguiculata
Sources include:
Wikipedia
. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the
California Consortia of Herbaria
, Sunset information provided by
Jepson Flora Project
. Propogation from seed information provided by the
Santa Barbara Botanical Garden
from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include
CalPhotos
,
Wikimedia Commons
, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include
Calflora
,
CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online
,
Jepson Flora Project
,
Las Pilitas
,
Theodore Payne
,
Tree of Life
,
The Xerces Society
, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from
PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University
, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.
Links:
Jepson eFlora Taxon Page
CalPhotos
Wikipedia
Calflora
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