Clarkia amoena
Satin flower , Clarkia amoena , aka godetia , is an one-year native wildflower in the Onagraceae family that also let in even primrose and fuchsia .
Colors include peach , pink , royal , red , and snowy , often with salient variegation .
From bed to borders , container to cutting garden , the freshly - present blossoms of silky satin flower are certain to entreat visitant to your home a cheery welcome .
Green pods contain tiny seeds.
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Read on to learn how to grow this other - season bloomer inUSDA Hardiness Zones2 to 11 .
Here ’s what I ’ll treat :
Green pods contain tiny seeds.
What You’ll Learn
Let ’s get started !
Cultivation and History
Also called farewell to spring , satin flower appear on the broken Hill of the Pacific Coast in former summertime . From British Columbia to California , its poppy - corresponding blossom cast a pinkish hue over the western terrain .
And while they look nothing alike , take attention not to discombobulate it with another satin efflorescence , Sisyrinchium striatum , aka pallid yellow - eyed grass , or you may order the amiss seeded player !
There are over 40 specie in theClarkiagenus . Most are native to western North America , where germ were commonly ground for uptake by autochthonic Californians include the Sierra Miwok .
One metal money , C. tenella , is native to South America .
Some of theClarkiaspecies were primitively classified asGodetia , cite after Swiss plant scientist Godet .
They were afterwards reclassified into the broaderClarkiagenus , purportedly named for other 1800s American West explorer William Clark , of the celebrated Lewis and Clark expedition .
It is for this reasonableness that you may find satin blossom list asGodetia amoenawhen you are shopping for seed and plants .
In summation toC. amoena , there are a handful of race in the wild , and numerous cultivated varieties have been developed for the plate garden .
Satin flower is a hardy summertime one-year thatthrives with full sunexposure in mean , well - debilitate territory .
It does best in nerveless regions where temperatures do n’t normally outmatch the 80s , and benefits from some afternoon shade in the warm geographical zone .
In the natural state , colors generally roll from pink to purple .
Today ’s cultivars broaden the palette with exciting yellowish pink , red , and white selection , as well as full petals , and larger , more numerous blooms .
industrial plant have upright stems that range from 12 to 36 inch marvellous , depending upon the variety . They achieve a spread of nine to 12 inches , and have a clumping development habit .
lancet - shape foliage has smooth margins . It is foggy with fine hairs and may shade slightly toward grey or ruby .
Like those of asters , the low leaves often descend off by the time industrial plant bloom , allow for them with bare “ legs . ”
The heyday are cupful - shaped and approximately one and a half in long . They may appear singly or in clusters at the terminal end of the root word in late bound to summer .
Propagation
To grow your own plants , set out them from seed .
You canstart seed indoorsfour to six weeks prior to the last frost day of the month for a leap on the growing season . Remember , this is a cool - weather plant that wo n’t do well once summer heats up .
A drawback of starting seeds in container indoors is that seedlings require transplantation , which may stir up the roots . To minimise transplant stress , use biodegradable seed starter cell and plant them in their entirety .
instead , you may sow seeds alfresco in early leaping as soon as the last average icing date has go along .
If you live along the West Coast , sow in seeds or transplant baby’s room pots in the spring , orpre - cum in the free fall .
C. amoenaself - sows and returns each year in the West , so you may find you only have to implant once . However , note that the seeds from hybrid plants may produce variable result .
How to Grow
To work this plant at your house , discover a location with full sun . If you ’re in one of the warmest regions , a piffling good afternoon wraith is beneficial .
The soil can be of modal quality , provided it run out well . The idealistic pH scale is between 6.0 and 8.0 . To fix yours , carry on a dirt testthrough your local agrarian university extension .
Work the soil to a profundity of six to 12 inches , until it is crumbly . Fertilization is not necessary , as it can cause excessive and scraggly foliar growth at the expense of blooms .
Moisten the filth and scatter seeds over it . Do not bury them , as they postulate light to shoot . Keep the filth moist , but not soggy , during germination .
When the seedlings have two circle of true leaves , thin them to a distance of nine to 12 inch asunder , depending upon the mature width of the type you are grow . Find this data on your semen packet .
respectable gentle wind circulation between flora is crucial , to keep the humidness down and avoid spark off mold spore .
For mass planting , such as large purport or meadows , broadcast one pound of seed per acre , for 19 to 25 ejaculate per satisfying substructure .
Here is a broadcast spreader you may like :
With the Scotts Whirl Hand - Powered Spreader , you could comfortably broadcast tiny wildflower seeds in a 180 - degree swath .
Scotts Whirl Hand - Powered broadcaster
It ’s the perfect choice for areas that measure 5,000 square feet or less .
you may find the Scotts Whirl Hand - Powered Spreaderavailable from Scotts via Amazon .
Once establish , plants do n’t require a luck of water . If it does n’t rain down during the hebdomad , give them a drink . Be sure to take aim your hosiery nozzle at the territory , not the leaves , to invalidate increase the ambient humidity and hasten fungal increment .
For container gardening , find a pot with drainage mess that can accommodate the fledged dimensions of the variety you are establish . It should have a depth of 12 to 24 inches .
Growing Tips
This annual is easy to arise when you remember a few key points :
Maintenance
Satin flower require minimal maintenance .
recollect to maintain even wet during germination and water as needed thereafter .
Deadhead spend bloomsto encourage industrial plant to produce more .
Weed on a regular basis to avoid competition for H2O , deter insect , upgrade gentle wind circulation , and inhibit pathogen .
With heights ranging from 12 to 36 inches , you may be wondering about staking .
plant in full sun that have not been fecundate are the least likely to ask support . However , those that are in hard shade , and/or have become leggy due to overfeeding , are the most likely to call for assistance to remain upright .
And finally , as this is an early season bloomer , when it ’s finish , off the drop stems to the ground to make direction for the next rung of plants to take midway degree .
Cultivars to Select
When shopping for seeds or industrial plant , you are probable to find them listed asGodetia , with a cultivar name that follows .
Here are two you may wish :
Farewell to Spring
‘ Farewell to Spring ’ has vivid bicolor blooms .
Sweet as cotton fiber candy , light pink blossoms flush deeper pink in the centre , creating astuteness and line that catch the eye and draw it into the showy display .
‘ Farewell to Spring ’
With tiptop of 12 to 24 inches , this smoothy can fulfill mid - placement need as a zippy backdrop to lower - profile specimens in front positions .
bump ‘ Farewell to Spring’seeds now from Eden Brothersin one - ounce and quarter - Irish pound bundle .
Sybil
‘ Sybil ’ , aka ‘ Sybil Sherwood , ’ has pastel blossoms , for a sonant , unagitated demonstration .
Dreamy Salmon River - pink blossoms with cream centers are as refreshing as sherbert on a warm summer sidereal day .
‘ Sybil ’
At 18 inches tall , plant are outstanding in naturalistic , human knee - gamy meandering drift .
Find ‘ Sybil ’ seedsnow from Outsidepride via Amazonin computer software containing 5,000 or 10,000 .
Also , C. amoenais often included in California wildflower cum mixes that take a variety of compatible plants . However , they sometimes contain non - native specie , so read tight if you want to select all autochthonous plant .
Managing Pests and Disease
As I always say , the beneficial defence against pestilence and disease is a healthy plant life .
With quality seeds , by avoid both under- and over - lacrimation , exercise steady weeding , and allowing for appropriate spatial arrangement , you ’re expire to be onward of the game when it comes to guard off job .
However , even with best practice session , broker beyond our control – like excessive rainfall – can begin trouble .
Pests to be on the observation post for with satin prime are :
These are all sap - sucking insects that can do foliar malformation , evaporation , and decease . If you may , pick them off and discharge them into a bucket of soapsuds to destruct them .
An software of constituent neem oil colour may also be helpful .
As for disease , the following may dumbfound problem if stipulation are too dampish :
Leaf stain and powdery mildew adversely affect foliation , and are treatable with antimycotic .
stem turn rot and Verticillium wilt attack roots in the territory , and may cause irreversible damage and end .
Best Uses
Satin flower is suited to multiple garden location .
Taller eccentric make fantabulous anchors in creation beds , with a midway and low-spirited quarrel of flora in front of them to take center stage after they ’ve finished their other time of year heyday .
They also make a wonderful addition to improbable wild flower meadows , where they can wave freely in the breeze .
Shorter stature mixed bag offer a more compact configuration that is suited to layer , borders , containers , and massing in drifts .
And guess what ?
cervid do n’t like this plant , but pollinators have it away it .
SowC. amoenaliberally in your butterfly , cottage , andcutting gardenswith companions likeCalifornia poppy , delphinium , larkspur , marigold , Erysimum cheiri , and other yearbook that share the same cultural requirements .
And if its stunner , native status , and appeal tobeneficial insectsaren’t enough , satin flower can also resist alkaline , clay , salty , and flaxen soil , as well as drouth , so use it in those rugged areas you thought were unplantable .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
A Sight to Behold
If you ’re like me , you love to see colour in the landscape painting after a prospicient , bare wintertime .
The first satin blossom are a welcome sight on a soft , sunny Clarence Day that hints of ardent conditions to come .
Annuals like this one are fun to grow . buy seed is generally low-priced , upkeep is unremarkably low , and plants die to the primer at time of year ’s end , so you may interchange up your gardens every year , if you like .
And while this plant life is aboriginal to the Pacific Coast , growing it anywhere provides nectar andhabitat for bee , butterflies , and beneficial insects .
Make this the year you tryC. amoena .
Why not broadcast seed for masses of cheerful flower that blanket ground only recently expel from winter ’s icy grasp , and regenerate your soul with the view of this darling wild flower ?
If you found this guide informative and would care to say about moreflowering yearly , check out these guides next :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more detail . Originally published September 30 , 2017 . Last updated : May 25 , 2021 . Product photos via Eden Brothers , Outsidepride , and Scotts . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
About
Nan Schiller
