# Red Ribbons (*Clarkia concinna*) Red Ribbons are beautiful flowers that bloom in bright pink and red colors. They grow in clusters and can make gardens look very cheerful and colorful! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 3 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![Red Ribbons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Clarkia_concinna.jpg&width=800) Photo: Eric in SF, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Clarkia_concinna.jpg) ## Appearance The Red Ribbons has delicate, deeply lobed petals that resemble miniature red or magenta ribbons, giving its flowers a distinctive airy and fringed appearance. These bright blooms are often solitary or loosely clustered along slender stems, contrasting with its simple, narrow green leaves. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Myrtales - **Family:** Onagraceae - **Genus:** Clarkia ## Interesting facts - Its genus, Clarkia, honors Captain William Clark of the famous Lewis and Clark expedition! - Red Ribbons belongs to the Evening Primrose family, yet its beautiful flowers open in the day! - The petals are so deeply cut, they often look like four tiny, distinct streamers! - This flower is sometimes called 'Farewell to Spring' because it blooms as the season ends! ## Special abilities - **Ribbon Petals:** Red Ribbons has petals that are deeply divided, giving it a unique fringed look that helps it stand out to buzzing insect pollinators. - **Fast Finisher:** Red Ribbons can grow quickly from seed to flower in a single season, helping it complete its life cycle before summer heat arrives. - **Tough Terrain Tamer:** Red Ribbons can thrive in disturbed or poor soils, which helps it colonize new areas where other plants might struggle. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 20-60 cm - **Spread:** 15-30 cm - **Flower Size:** 2-5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to early Summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Annual - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** [Black-tailed Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-tailed-bumble-bee) (*Bombus melanopygus*) — Gathers nectar and pollen from its flowers. - **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — A common visitor, transferring pollen between blooms. - **Pollinates:** [Painted Lady](https://www.snappit.app/explore/painted-lady) (*Vanessa cardui*) — Adult butterflies visit flowers for nectar. - **Eats:** [Deer Mouse](https://www.snappit.app/explore/deer-mouse) (*Peromyscus maniculatus*) — Consumes the plant's small, nutritious seeds. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem. - [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. - [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 but don't pick flowers, so everyone can enjoy them! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Red Ribbons? 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 Red Ribbons? 20-60 cm ### How wide does Red Ribbons spread? 15-30 cm ### How big are the flowers on Red Ribbons? 2-5 cm ### When does Red Ribbons bloom? Spring to early Summer ### Is Red Ribbons edible? No ### Is Red Ribbons toxic? None ### What is Red Ribbons's lifecycle? Annual ## Where to spot - [Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/armstrong-redwoods-state-natural-reserve) — California, US · State Park - [Audubon Canyon](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/audubon-canyon) — California, US · Nature Reserve - [Robert Louis Stevenson State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/robert-louis-stevenson-state-park) — California, US · State Park [View all places to see Red Ribbons](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/red-ribbons) ## 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: [Red Ribbons: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-ribbons)