Clarkia and Godetia

There are around 40 species found in the genus Clarkia, named for the William Clark of the famed Lewis and Clark expedition. All species of Godetia have now been reclassified as Clarkia, with the former name now being obsolete and many gardeners now being confused. Nearly all of these plants are annuals, and most of them hail from western North America. They were very popular in the 1940’s and 50’s and then plunged into virtual obscurity. They were briefly popular here again in the 1990’s (in part because of Lois Hole’s bedding plant book) but have now once more slipped away into the unknown. This is unfortunate for a variety of reasons.

The very best known species is Clarkia elegans, which has also been called Clarkia unguiculata. Plants grow 2-3 ft. tall and are uninteresting until they are in flower. Blooms may be single or double, and white, rose, pink, purple, mauve, or lavender in colour. The double forms have always been the most popular, as they resemble small roses and are packed together in long stems, creating the appearance of flower garlands. They are almost always sold as mixed lots of seed, though occasionally they can be had in separate colours. (The spectacular cultivar ‘Appleblossom’ has softly apricot pink flowers and is worth looking for.)

Clarkias absolutely must be direct-sown; they do not tolerate having confined roots for any length of time. Find a sunny, well drained spot with average soil and water well. Sprinkle the seeds where they are to bloom and be patient; germination usually takes about three weeks. Once they are up they grow quickly, and will soon be in flower. They can bloom for up to two months and are extremely showy! They are also rarely seen in modern prairie gardens, though they have maintained some popularity in Britain. Clarkia seed is definitely available if you search for it, but it’s never going to be a mainstream plant.

Clarkia pulchella is an annual of the Pacific northwest with pink or magenta flowers that have distinctly cut petals. It is sometimes cultivated, and sometimes available in the nursery trade as seeds. ‘Snowflake’ is a lovely white flowered form.

The satin flower, Godetia grandiflora, grows about 15” tall and has shimmery, silk-like petals in a glorious range of colours and bicolours including white, red, purple, pink, mauve, lavender, rose, and carmine. It is somewhat more amenable to being started in containers (as long as it does not become rootbound) and has found something of a following amongst prairie gardeners who know it. People often become very fanatical about this plant.

Wanting a sunny spot with average, well drained soil, satin flower was once extremely popular but is still best from a direct sowing and thus remains not very well known. Like the clarkia, it is almost always sold as mixed colours but a few cultivars are available. ‘Rembrandt’ has bicoloured light and dark pink blooms and ‘Salmon Princess’ is peachy or coral pink. Satin flower blooms all summer and looks best when grown in mass.

Godetia amoena is commonly called farewell-to-spring because it is usually the first summer blooming plant to commence with flowering. It is found along the coast from BC to California, with showy pink flowers often marked with red inside. It grows up to 3 ft. tall and is often cultivated in gardens, needing only well drained soil and a sunny spot. It is very resentful of disturbance; sow the seed where it is to flower.