Clarkia rhomboidea
Diamond clarkia
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Family: Onagraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Clarkia rhomboidea (Diamond clarkia) is a native California herb in the Onagraceae family, recognized by diamond-shaped petals, rotate corolla, blue-gray pollen.
Diamond clarkia is a California native annual found in California Floristic Province (excluding San Joaquin Valley) and Modoc Plateau in yellow-pine forest and woodland at elevations below 2,500 meters. Flowering from March to September, this plant produces pink-lavender flowers with distinctive diamond-shaped petals 6 to 12 millimeters long, often spotted with interesting color variations. Growing with erect stems less than 1 meter tall and covered in fine puberulent hairs, it displays a delicate, slender form. Its leaves range from lanceolate to elliptic, measuring 1 to 6 centimeters long with petioles 5 to 25 millimeters in length. The plant's unique flower structure features eight stamens with blue-gray pollen and petals with broad, two-lobed claws that create an elegant, geometrically interesting bloom.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 68 sympatric species; key features are diamond-shaped petals, rotate corolla, blue-gray pollen
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Yellow-pine forest, woodland
Elevation: < 2500 m
California counties: Riverside, Fresno, Kern, San Diego, San Bernardino, Lake, Ventura, Los Angeles, Butte, Madera, Siskiyou, Trinity, Tuolumne, Santa Clara, Modoc, El Dorado, Sierra, Placer, Nevada, Mariposa, Mendocino, Shasta, Tehama, Tulare, Plumas, Lassen, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Humboldt, Sutter, Orange, Calaveras, Colusa, Mono, San Luis Obispo, Amador, Sonoma, Del Norte, Imperial, Napa, Santa Cruz, Yuba, Glenn, Alpine, Solano, San Benito, Stanislaus
Outside California: +- western United States, Baja California.
Bloom period
Clarkia rhomboidea blooms Mar-Sep.
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 rhomboidea native to California?
Yes. Clarkia rhomboidea is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Clarkia rhomboidea bloom?
Clarkia rhomboidea blooms Mar-Sep.
Where in California does Clarkia rhomboidea grow?
Clarkia rhomboidea occurs in Riverside, Fresno, Kern, San Diego, San Bernardino, Lake, Ventura, Los Angeles and other counties, at elevations of < 2500 m.
What plant family does Clarkia rhomboidea belong to?
Clarkia rhomboidea is in the Onagraceae family, genus Clarkia.
What habitat does Clarkia rhomboidea grow in?
Clarkia rhomboidea grows in Common. Yellow-pine forest, 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.