Clarkia pulchella

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Clarkia pulchella
Light:Full Sun
Moisture:Xeric Mesic
Soil pH:5.6-8.4
Height:1'
Blooms:Early Summer-Mid Fall
Native to:
Shelter
Edible Rating:PFAF Edibility Rating
Tea:Yes
Poisonous

Clarkia pulchella

Propagation: Seed - sow spring in situ. The seed usually germinates in 2 weeks[1]. Seed can also be sown in situ during the autumn in mild winter areas[1][2]. Thinnings can be transplanted[1].

Cultivation: Succeeds in a sunny position in any good garden soil[1]. If the soil is too rich the plants will produce lots of vegetative growth at the expense of flowers[3]. Resents hot, humid continental summers[2].

A polymorphic species[2].

A very ornamental plant[1].

The flowers are very attractive to bees[4].

Range: Western N. America - British Columbia to Oregon, east to S. Dakota.

Habitat: Moderately dry sites, often where the soil is disturbed, from valleys and foothills to 1,800 metres in the mountains[5].

Edibility: Seed - ground into a powder and eaten dry[6]. Very small and fiddly to harvest.

Usage: Green and gold dyes are obtained from the flowers[7].

Pollinators: Bees

Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.

Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.

Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Mid Fall

Flower Type: Hermaphrodite

Links

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
  3. Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
  4. International Bee Research Association. Garden Plants Valuable to Bees. International Bee Research Association, 1981.
  5. Davis, Ray and Frank Craighead. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers. The Riverside Press, 1963.
  6. Sweet, Muriel. Common Edible and Useful Plants of the West. Naturegraph Co, 1962.
  7. Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.