Species Description (from Calscape): Clarkia purpurea - Purple clarkia is a species of wildflower in the Onagraceae (Evening Primrose) family known by the common names Winecup Clarkia, Winecup Fairyfan, and Purple Clarkia. This plant is native to western North America where it is found in a variety of habitats. Within California it is very widespread, occurring all along the coast, in the Coast Ranges, Central Valley and Sierra foothills. There are three subspecies with differences in the flower color and with overlapping ranges. This plant erects a thin reddish stem which may approach a meter in height and has a few lance-shaped leaves. The bowl-shaped flowers have four petals usually one to two centimeters long and in shades of pink, purple, or deep wine red, often with a streak or spot of pink or red in the middle. In the garden it is almost always grown from seed and is included in many commercially available wildflower seed mixes. From Calscape.
Growers: Heritage Growers
Amount of seed in packet: 10 grams
Other Names Used: Winecup Clarkia
Family: Onagraceae
Life Cycle: Annual
Plant Type: Herb
Sun Exposure: Full
Bloom Period: Spring, Summer (April to July)
Bloom Color(s): Pink, Red
Plant Height: 3 feet tall
Plant Width: 1 foot wide
California Regions:
San Francisco Bay Area
North Coast
Central Valley
Sierra Foothills
Sierra Nevada
Central California Coast
Southern Coast
Southern California Inland
Ecological Benefits:
Drought Tolerant
Attracts pollinators, birds, wildlife
Ecological Functions:
Grows in Containers
Groundcover
Habitat Type:
Chaparral
Valley Grassland
Coastal Strand
Northern Coastal Scrub
Yellow Pine Forest
Mixed Evergreen Forest
FoothillWoodland
Skill Level: Beginner
Seed Pretreatment: None
Seeding Instructions: Super easy to grow, can be sown directly into garden bed or grown in containers and transplanted as plugs when larger. Seeds germinate readily.
