Clarkia mildrediae subsp. mildrediae

Mildred's clarkia, Mildred's Clarkia

Family: Onagraceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3

Mildred's clarkia is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native annual found in southern Cascade Range and northern Sierra Nevada mountains, specifically in the Feather River drainage, in yellow-pine forest at elevations of 450 to 1,700 meters. Flowering from June to July, this plant produces delicate flowers with wide petals 12 to 18 millimeters across, featuring distinctive magenta anthers and fresh pollen that is uniquely blue-gray in color. Growing with slender stems typical of its genus, the clarkia reaches heights characteristic of annual wildflowers in mountain woodland settings. Its leaves are arranged in a pattern supporting the delicate flowering structure, complementing the plant's elegant botanical form. The subtle color contrasts of magenta, blue-gray, and soft petal tones make this rare clarkia a distinctive member of its mountain forest ecosystem.

Habitat: Yellow-pine forest

Bloom period: Jun-Jul

Elevation: 450-1700 m

Bioregions: s CaR, n SN (Feather River drainage, nw of subsp. lutescens).

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