Lake County Native Wildflowers: Crazy for clarkia
- Karen Sullivan, Kim Riley, and Terre Logsdon
- Posted On
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — As temperatures heat up in the mid to late spring and summer begins to draws near, vibrant pink to fuchsia to violet wildflowers, some with highlights of red to white, begin to show up in profusion and bid a “farewell to spring,” which is the name of one aptly-name species of clarkia that graces us in Lake County.
There are 18 different species of clarkia identified as growing in Lake County, according to CalFlora, with different blooming periods that can last from January through September and each with their slightly different bloom times, colors, petal shapes, and soil/sun preferences.
If you’re looking for a native wildflower to add to your gardens that doesn’t require a lot of water, clarkia is a great choice and with a little irrigation, bloom times can be extended to early summer, with elegant clarkia blooming into the fall.
Most species of Clarkia thrive in well-drained clay soils or any dry soil that doesn't retain a lot of water and can grow well in sandy soils as long as they have full sun to partial shade.
All of the clarkia species play important roles in their local ecosystems as they provide habitat for native pollinators so are a good choice for your home gardens in Lake County.
Some pollinators even rely on clarkia exclusively, such as the “clarkia bee,” according to Wikipedia. They’re also used as host plants by some species as caterpillars, such as Sphingidae moths.
Seeds of the clarkia germinate easily when sown at the beginning of the rainy season and make a wonderful addition to your home gardens with gorgeous flowers and attractive reddish hued stems that require little to no water; ideal for our summer dry climate.
More information can be found here on the 18 species of clarkia in Lake County.
To see and learn more about the species of clarkia in Lake County, visit CalFlora.
Nurseries where you can purchase clarkias:
Diamond (or Tongue) Clarkia: https://calscape.org/nurseries.php?id=66760&showmap=1
Elegant Clarkia: https://calscape.org/nurseries.php?id=1046&showmap=1
Farewell to spring: https://calscape.org/nurseries.php?id=1023&showmap=1
Red ribbons: https://calscape.org/nurseries.php?id=1031&showmap=1
Waltham Creek Clarkia: https://calscape.org/nurseries.php?id=66756&showmap=1
Winecup Clarkia: https://calscape.org/nurseries.php?id=1041&showmap=1
Terre Logsdon is an environmentalist, certified master composter, and advocate for agroecology solutions to farming. An avid fan and protector of California wildflowers, plants, natural resources, and the environment, she seeks collaborative solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change. Kim Riley is retired, an avid hiker at Highland Springs, and has lived in Lake County since 1985. After 15 years of trail recovery and maintenance on the Highland Springs trails, she is now focused on native plants, including a native plant and pollinator garden on her property as well as promoting and preserving the beauty of the Highland Springs Recreation Area. Karen Sullivan has operated two nurseries to propagate and cultivate native plants and wildflowers, has lived in Kelseyville for the past 30 years, rides horses far and wide to see as many flowers as possible, and offers native plants and wildflowers for sale to the public. You can check her nursery stock here. They are collaborating on a book, Highland Springs Recreation Area: A Field Guide, which will be published in the future. In the meanwhile, please visit https://www.facebook.com/HighlandSpringsNaturalists and https://www.facebook.com/HighlandSpringsRecreationArea.