Clarkia epilobioides

Canyon clarkia

Family: Onagraceae · Type: annual · Native

Canyon clarkia is a California native annual found in the central and southwestern coastal bioregions in shady woodland and chaparral sites at elevations below 1,000 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces white flowers fading to pink, with delicate 5 to 12 millimeter obovate petals arranged in bowl-shaped blossoms. Growing with erect stems up to 70 centimeters tall and sparsely covered in fine hairs, it develops linear to narrowly lanceolate leaves typically 15 to 25 millimeters long. Its leaves have short petioles less than 7 millimeters long, with interesting recurved flower buds that hang pendently from the stem. The flower's sepals often display a reddish hue and remain fused in groups of four or two, with eight stamens creating a distinctive structural arrangement.

Habitat: Generally shady sites in woodland, chaparral

Bloom period: Apr-May

Elevation: < 1000 m

Bioregions: CW, SW

California counties: San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Orange, Ventura, San Diego, Riverside, San Mateo, Monterey, Santa Clara, San Luis Obispo, Contra Costa, Stanislaus, Mendocino, Kern, Fresno, Lake, Trinity, San Benito

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