nature of your neighborhood logo

Slender clarkia

Clarkia exilis is a small herbaceous annual plant of western North America. It is an uncommon species in the evening primrose family known by the common names Kern River clarkia and slender clarkia. C. exilis is an annual herb producing a slender, erect stem often exceeding half a meter in height. The bright green leaves are lance-shaped to narrowly oval, and hairless. The top of the stem is occupied by the inflorescence, with open flowers and deflexed buds towards the tip of the stem. Each of the four petals has a narrow claw and diamond-shaped limb. The entire petal is up to 1. 5 centimeters long and white or soft purple or pink, sometimes with a purple spot. The fruit is a capsule up to 3 centimeters long and about 2 millimeters wide that may contain from a few to 80 seeds. Description from Calscape

Home  >  Plant Guide  >  

Slender clarkia

Slender clarkia fast facts

Scientific Name

Clarkia gracilis

Family

Onagraceae

Garden Type

Container Appropriate, Anywhere

Wildlife

Bees, Birds

Native Plant Region

Western WA, PNW, North America

Light needs

Full Sun

Water Needs

Dry

Plant Type

Annual, Flowering

Bloom Color(s)

Purple

Height

2 – 5 feet

Width

0 – 1, 1 – 2 feet

Months in Bloom

June, July

Safe Beneath Power Lines?

Yes
slender clarkia

Have feedback on this plant listing?

We’d like to maintain accurate and robust plant listings. If you see information that is not correct or that could be added to improve the listing, please let us know. Or if you’d like to suggest a plant to add to our plant guide, you can use this form do so. Thank you!

Start Nurturing Your Neighborhood Today

Varied Thrush by Tania Simpson
Community

Urban Birding in Capitol Hill

Take a virtual trip across Capitol Hill to learn about urban habitat types, how to identify the unique birds they support, and what we can do to make the neighborhood a safer place for them to live.

READ MORE
fern
Community

The Nature of Capitol Hill

Despite the urban character and the high population density, a surprising diversity of life exists in Capitol Hill. Explore a few physical aspects of our urban ecosystems and meet some of its more-than-human residents.

READ MORE