The northern farewell- Clarkia -ERAKINA

Clarkia, a is wildflower which brings in the beginning of spring and also is an adorable beauty in it’s own.

• Earlier known as Godetia, the satin flower is a very beautiful wildflower with pink,red and lavender shades.
• Clarkia symbolises enthusiasm and charm.
• They are known as “farewell to spring”as their blooming embarks the spring season.
• It has its roots in the western North America also in coastal hills and mountains from British Columbia south to the San Francisco Bay Area.
• The genus was named after the famous explorer Captain William Clark (1770-1838).

Scientific classification

Description:- pattern and size

• Clarkia amoena, also called as satin flower, is native from British Columbia to central California.
• It is an annual plant that has 4 broad petals and linear leaves in it.
• Farewell to spring has petals whose size grows from 1.5-6 cm long and has leaves that stretch as 2-7cm long and 2-6 mm broad.
• The overall height of the plant is 1m tall. Along with this the fruit of the plant is in the form of a capsule and it releases various seeds when it gets matured.
• Along with its immense shades of colour, it also plays an important role in the eco cycle as they provide habitat for pollinators.
• Some of the pollinators even rely on Clarkia solely just like the “Clarkia bee”.

How can you grow Clarkia:-

• It’s growth is said to be the best in a cool atmosphere. It is said that in zone 9&10 we can sow it outdoors in the fall for the earliest bloom in the spring.
• It requires light,sandy loam and sunlight in full or partial shade.
• The propagation of clarika must be done by seeds because they do not transplant well, sow seeds  directly into the soil outdoors and  it barely needs any cover; they just need light to germinate.

Uses of clarika: 

Plant in beds and borders, grow in rock gardens, and naturalise in open meadows. Tall varieties make good cut flowers.

Various species of clarika

• Many of the flowers usually referred to as clarkias are hybrids of C. unguiculata and C. pulchella (Clarkia elegans).
•  Each species has a variety of garden forms, including double-flowered varieties. 
• Generally, the flowers of clarkias grow along the stem, facing outward, and are about 1 inch in diameter. 
• Colours include white, pink, salmon, and purple.
• F1 hybrid Grace is available in red, shell pink, rose-pink, and a mixture of colours. Unwins Taffeta provides a mix of colours.

-By Shrinidhi Shandilya

Content Writer (Erakina By RTMN)

13/12/2021