Clarkia modesta
Waltham creek clarkia
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Family: Onagraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Clarkia modesta (Waltham creek clarkia) is a native California herb in the Onagraceae family, recognized by rotate corolla and darker-flecked petals that fade darker distinctive.
Waltham creek clarkia is a California native annual found in northern coastal interior California, central and southern Sierra Nevada foothills, San Francisco Bay Area, and south coastal ranges in shady woodland places at elevations below 1,000 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces delicate pink flowers with darker flecks, 8 to 12 millimeters long in petals that rotate open and tend to fade to a deeper color. Growing with erect stems up to 70 centimeters tall and covered in fine soft hairs, it has a slender and graceful form. Its leaves are narrow and linear to lance-shaped, measuring 2 to 4 centimeters long with petioles less than 15 millimeters. The flower buds are distinctively pendant and recurved at the tip, with eight stamens and an eight-grooved ovary.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 32 sympatric species; rotate corolla and darker-flecked petals that fade darker distinctive
Habitat and range
Habitat: Shady places in woodland
Elevation: < 1000 m
California counties: Madera, Mariposa, Fresno, Tulare, Stanislaus, Santa Clara, San Luis Obispo, Tehama, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Colusa, Lake, Trinity, Napa, Butte, Contra Costa, Glenn, Ventura, San Benito, Alameda, Siskiyou
Bloom period
Clarkia modesta blooms Apr-May.
How to tell it apart
vs Epilobium: Clarkia seeds lack a hair tuft and its petals are broad, often clawed or lobed; Epilobium and Chamerion have seeds bearing a tuft of silky hairs and long, thin capsules.; vs Oenothera: Clarkia flowers are pink to lavender-purple and its buds nod before opening; Oenothera flowers are generally yellow (or white), larger, and open at dusk.; vs Camissonia: Clarkia petals are pink-purple, often fan-shaped or lobed with a distinct claw; Camissonia and Camissoniopsis have yellow, unlobed petals.; vs Sidalcea: Clarkia has 4 petals, an inferior ovary, and a 4-lobed stigma; Sidalcea (checkerbloom) has 5 petals, a superior ovary, and a central mallow staminal column.; vs Gayophytum: Clarkia is showy with petals 10-35 mm; Gayophytum has minute white-to-pink flowers only a few mm across on thread-like branches.
Frequently asked questions
Is Clarkia modesta native to California?
Yes. Clarkia modesta is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Clarkia modesta bloom?
Clarkia modesta blooms Apr-May.
Where in California does Clarkia modesta grow?
Clarkia modesta occurs in Madera, Mariposa, Fresno, Tulare, Stanislaus, Santa Clara, San Luis Obispo, Tehama and other counties, at elevations of < 1000 m.
What plant family does Clarkia modesta belong to?
Clarkia modesta is in the Onagraceae family, genus Clarkia.
What habitat does Clarkia modesta grow in?
Clarkia modesta grows in Shady places in woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.