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Clarkia unguiculata
Clarkia unguiculata Lindl.
Elegant Clarkia, Elegant Fairyfan, Mountain Garland
Onagraceae (Evening Primrose Family)
Synonym(s): Clarkia elegans
USDA Symbol: CLUN
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
A much-branched, 1 1/2-3 ft. annual with erect, reddish stems. Purple, rose, or whitish, 4-petaled flowers occur in small clusters. A slender plant with a few lanceolate leaves and buds nodding along an erect raceme of a few pink flowers.
The long, slender petal stalks help distinguish this from several similar species in the West, most limited to California.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: AnnualHabit: Herb
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 3 feet tall.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: White , Pink , PurpleBloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep
Distribution
USA: CANative Distribution: CA Coast Ranges from Mendocino & Lake Cos., s. to n. San Diego Co.; also Sierran foothills from Butte to Kern Cos.
Native Habitat: Dry, open or shaded slopes below 5000 ft.
Growing Conditions
Light Requirement: Part ShadeSoil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Dry soils.
Conditions Comments: Do not thin seedlings as crowding encourages blooming. Able to out-compete weedy grasses.
Benefit
Use Food: Indigenous Californians sowed Clarkia species and harvested the seeds to grind for food.Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Value to Beneficial Insects
Special Value to Native BeesThis information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
Propagation
Description: Sow seeds after last frost in cold-winter zones. Where winters are milder, sow seeds late summer through fall.Seed Treatment: Seed treatment is not necessary.
Commercially Avail: yes
Find Seed or Plants
Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR
Bibliography
Bibref 1218 - Tending the Wild: Native American Knowledge and the Management of California's Natural Resources (2006) Anderson, M. KatSearch More Titles in Bibliography
Web Reference
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Clarkia unguiculata in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Clarkia unguiculata in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Clarkia unguiculata
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-02-01Research By: TWC Staff