

Prostrate Clarkia Clarkia prostrata
Prostrate Clarkia is an annual wildflower native to the lower 48 states. It blooms May – Jun. A host for pollen-specialist native bees.
More about this plant
Clarkia prostrata is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family known by the common name prostrate clarkia. It is endemic to the coastline of San Luis Obispo County, California, where it grows on seaside bluffs in forested and grassy areas. This annual herb is prostrate as opposed to erect as most other Clarkia species are. Its stems extend to a maximum length approaching half a meter and are usually somewhat fuzzy in texture. The leaves are oval in shape, up to 2.5 centimeters long, and lack petioles. The sepals of the flower separate into two pairs, revealing the lavender-pink blooming petals. Each petal is just over a centimeter long, fan-shaped to oval, and sometimes with a yellow base marked with a red spot. Wikipedia →
Growing & care
USDA PLANTS · TRY- Hardiness
- ≥ zone 11 derived from its U.S. range
- Lifespan
- Annual
Wildlife & pollinators
How pollinator value is scored →❧ Caterpillar hosts ~3 caterpillar species
Clarkia supports ~3 caterpillar species.
Native butterfly & moth caterpillars are the base of the terrestrial food web — most songbirds rear their young almost entirely on them. As a host for native Lepidoptera this is a modest genus.
Recorded feeding on Clarkia in North America, including:
✦ Bees specialist-bee host
Specialist native bees depend on it.
Some native bees are pollen specialists (oligolectic) — they raise young only on pollen from particular plant genera. Clarkia is a recorded specialist-bee host, so losing it can mean losing the bee that relies on it.
Sources for this entry (14) Open & cited
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