Clarkia amoena subsp. whitneyi

Whitney's farewell-to-spring, Whitney's Farewell-To-Spring

Family: Onagraceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Whitney's farewell-to-spring is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native annual found in the northern Coast Range from Fort Bragg to Shelter Cove in open coastal scrub at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from July to August, this delicate plant produces large pink to magenta petals 30 to 60 millimeters long, creating a vibrant display against the coastal landscape. Growing with decumbent stems that form dense clusters, it spreads low and wide across its habitat. Its leaves and stems create a soft, spreading mat with distinctive fusiform ovaries marked by eight distinct grooves, four of which are notably deeper. The plant's elegant, sprawling form and large, showy petals make it a striking component of coastal scrub ecosystems.

Habitat: Open coastal scrub

Bloom period: Jul-Aug

Elevation: < 100 m

Bioregions: NCo (formerly n of Fort Bragg, Mendocino Co. to Shelter Cove, Humboldt Co.).

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.