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Bransford, W.D. and Dolphia

Clarkia concinna

Clarkia concinna (Fisch. & C.A. Mey.) Greene

Red Ribbons, Redribbons

Onagraceae (Evening Primrose Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: CLCO

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

An erect, 1-2 ft. annual, crowded with rose-purple flowers. The deeply cut petals make this Clarkia more delicate than C. amoena. A low, many-branched plant with elaborate, bright pink flowers crowded in leaf axils.

In the very similar Beautiful Clarkia (C. pulchella), sometimes also called Deerhorn Clarkia or Ragged-robin Clarkia, the middle lobe of each petal is twice as wide as the side lobes; it is found from southern British Columbia to southeastern Oregon and east to western Montana. Brewer's Clarkia (C. breweri), growing in central California, has a central petal lobe about half as wide as the side lobes. Gunsight Clarkia (C. xantiana), found in southern California, has a needle-like middle petal lobe.

From the Image Gallery

6 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual
Habit: Herb
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 2 feet tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Pink , Purple
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul

Distribution

USA: CA
Native Distribution: CA Coast Ranges from Santa Clara Co. north; Sierran foothills in Yuba and Butte Cos.
Native Habitat: Dry, foothill woods

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Dry, loose soil.
Conditions Comments: Do not thin seedlings as crowding encourages blooming.

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 Bees

This 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.
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. Kat

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 37 - Calscape (2019) California Native Plant Society
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 concinna in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Clarkia concinna in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Clarkia concinna

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-02-01
Research By: TWC Staff

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