# Elegant Clarkia (*Clarkia unguiculata*) The Elegant Clarkia is a beautiful flower with bright pink petals that bloom in the spring and summer. It loves sunny spots and can be found in fields and gardens, adding color to the landscape. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 21 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![Elegant Clarkia](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Clarkia_unguiculata.jpg&width=800) Photo: Eric in SF, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Clarkia_unguiculata.jpg) ## Appearance The Elegant Clarkia has slender stems topped with vibrant, cup-shaped flowers. Its petals are typically showy pink or purplish, often with a darker blotch and a unique 'clawed' or narrow base, giving them a distinct, airy look. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Myrtales - **Family:** Onagraceae - **Genus:** Clarkia ## Interesting facts - It's named after William Clark, the famous explorer of the Lewis and Clark Expedition! - Its petals have a unique, narrow 'claw' at their base, making them stand out beautifully. - The seeds of Elegant Clarkia can stay hidden in the soil for years, waiting for perfect rain to sprout! - When bees visit, their fuzzy bodies get coated with the flower's bright yellow pollen! ## Special abilities - **Nectar Guides:** Elegant Clarkia has special markings on its petals that guide insects directly to its nectar and pollen, ensuring efficient pollination. - **Quick Cycle Bloom:** Elegant Clarkia can grow, bloom, and set seeds rapidly within a single year, allowing it to complete its life cycle before summer droughts. - **Drought Resilience:** Elegant Clarkia has adapted to dry climates by completing its growth and reproduction during the wet spring, surviving periods of low water. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-90 cm - **Spread:** 15-30 cm - **Flower Size:** 2-4 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring_summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Annual - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — gathers nectar and pollen for its hive - **Pollinates:** [Yellow-faced Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-faced-bumble-bee) (*Bombus vosnesenskii*) — important native bee for its flowers - **Pollinates:** Western Digger Bee (*Anthophora urbana*) — rapidly collects pollen and nectar ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Everblooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/everblooming): Everblooming plants produce flowers continuously or in repeated flushes over a long period. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look at flowers but don't pick them, so everyone can enjoy their beauty! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Elegant Clarkia? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Elegant Clarkia? 30-90 cm ### How wide does Elegant Clarkia spread? 15-30 cm ### How big are the flowers on Elegant Clarkia? 2-4 cm ### When does Elegant Clarkia bloom? Spring_summer ### Is Elegant Clarkia edible? No ### Is Elegant Clarkia toxic? None ### What is Elegant Clarkia's lifecycle? Annual ## Where to spot - [Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/black-diamond-mines-regional-preserve) — California, US · Nature Reserve - [Coloma](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/coloma) — California, US · Neighborhood - [Ruth Bancroft Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ruth-bancroft-garden) — California, US · Botanical Garden - [San Joaquin Experimental Range](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/san-joaquin-experimental-range) — California, US · Forest - [Bagby Stationhouse, Water Tanks and Turntable](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bagby-stationhouse-water-tanks-and-turntable) — California, US · Historic District - [El Sereno Open Space](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/el-sereno-open-space) — California, US · Park [View all places to see Elegant Clarkia](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/elegant-clarkia) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Elegant Clarkia: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/elegant-clarkia)